This week, museum-goers in Los Angeles might pick up on something different … and slightly more aromatic than usual. The Hammer Museum, located in LA’s Westwood neighbourhood, is playing host to a performance that crosses new sensory boundaries.
“A Trip to Japan in Sixteen Minutes, Revisited” is a small-scale concert and performance art piece that exposes visitors to a series of six scents meant to evoke turn-of-the-20th-century Japan. The aromas are accompanied by various musical compositions and sound effects, and attendees are blindfolded throughout in order to create a fully immersive experience.
The experimental work of art isn’t actually the first of its kind, though. In fact, the performance takes its inspiration from an event that happened more than 100 years ago.
In 1902, German-Japanese artist Sadakichi Hartmann attempted a similar production, though due to venue and technological constraints, his scent-based performance was less than successful.
This new event purports to pick up where his original work left off. Local perfumer Sherri Sebastian has created one-of-a-kind scents that will be released via a “scent machine” based on Hartmann’s original design, while composer Bennett Barbakow has written the accompanying music.
For those who haven’t yet made it to Japan, for conceptual art lovers, or simply for the curious, then: let your nose lead you to this quirky new performance.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to… whose Los Angeles guide covers all the best hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs, sights, shops and spas
(Feature © Nicola Spasenoski/iStock/Thinkstock)
