The Newsfeed: Immersive sights and scents in a Seattle art show
At the National Nordic Museum, Fischersund’s ‘Faux Flora’ brings fictional flowers to life through Cinema 4D and layered fragrances.
An Icelandic art collective adds depth and dimension to a floral-themed exhibition at the National Nordic Museum with carefully crafted scents designed to spark memories. (Brangien Davis / Cascade PBS)
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The powerful connection between scent and memory is brought to vivid life in a new Seattle art exhibition that invites visitors to engage their senses and imagination.
In this episode of The Newsfeed, host Paris Jackson joins arts correspondent Brangien Davis for a walk-through — and sniff-through — of the immersive exhibit at the National Nordic Museum in Ballard.
Faux Flora (through Jan. 26) is the creation of Icelandic art collective Fischersund, known for its innovative fragrance line that incorporates unconventional scents such as moss, ozone, birch tar and wooden fence. It’s a group of talented siblings, including Jónsi (of electronic music band Sigur Rós) and his sisters Inga, Lilja and Sigurrós Birgisdóttir.
Inspired by the scrappy flora of the Icelandic landscape — as well as imagining what the flowers behind lab-made scents might look like — Fischersund has created an installation of wild and evocative digital flowers, all “sculpted” in Cinema 4D. These alien blooms sway and pulse in the low-lit gallery.
In addition, Fischersund created special scents to match each of their invented flowers, which visitors sniff from handcrafted resin bell jars. Many flowers also have a custom-tailored soundscape with music, murmurs, clicks and whispers.
By layering scent, sound, visuals and poetic written descriptions, Fischersund aims to trigger as many senses as possible. In doing so, the artists encourage visitors to be fully present for an olfactory experience that might transport them to a moment from the distant past or have them considering the future.
Brangien Davis is the arts and culture editor at Cascade PBS, where she writes and hosts the NW Emmy-nominated television series 'Art by Northwest' and writes the weekly Art x NW newsletter.
Brangien Davis is the arts and culture editor at Cascade PBS, where she writes and hosts the NW Emmy-nominated television series 'Art by Northwest' and writes the weekly Art x NW newsletter.
Paris Jackson is the host of “The Newsfeed”. She’s an Emmy Award-winning journalist with 15+ years in TV news and public media. A former anchor/reporter at KOMO-TV in Seattle. She is an editor-at-large at Cascade PBS. Paris.Jackson@cascadepbs.org
Paris Jackson is the host of “The Newsfeed”. She’s an Emmy Award-winning journalist with 15+ years in TV news and public media. A former anchor/reporter at KOMO-TV in Seattle. She is an editor-at-large at Cascade PBS. Paris.Jackson@cascadepbs.org
Shannen Ortale is a news producer at Cascade PBS, working primarily on The Newsfeed. She's also produced various documentary projects, including Asahel: The Curtis Collection and Origins: Refuge After War.
Shannen Ortale is a news producer at Cascade PBS, working primarily on The Newsfeed. She's also produced various documentary projects, including Asahel: The Curtis Collection and Origins: Refuge After War.
