Nébula

Sinestesia, Museo del perfume, 2020.

Nébula, 2019

Nébula is an installation made with various aromatic compounds and simultaneous sounds diffused in the same space. Through an automated nebulization system that sprays substances in parallel to a sequence of sound events, the work seeks to generate a meta-immersive experience in which various senses are intertwined: smell and hearing, obviously, but also touch, by the physical sensation of a breeze produced by the mists, and sight, as the momentary suspension of the particles in the air and their eventual light refraction are observed.

This piece is a sensory arc in constant reconfiguration: an ephemeral and almost immaterial portal made up of dew, sounds and aromas that mix organically and in ever-changing ways. The transit through this multi-sensory haze seeks to exalt and overflow the visitor’s senses, with the intention of generating a cathartic experience.

Thus, the piece revisits and reinterprets some of the practices associated with rites of passage, ritual baths, and initiation or purification ceremonies, which is why the aromatic compounds that permeate the visitors are those that refer biologically or culturally to the stages of this type of initiatory experiences: eve or preparation, torment and death; and birth or resurrection. Both the aromatic substances and the sound emissions are associated with the emotion suggested by the phases of this transformation process.

For the first stage, a solution composed of ceremonial resin (incense, copal, myrrh) is used. For the second, a solution with odors similar to those perceived in apocrine secretions or sweat: an herbal combination of the allium family (onion, garlic, etc.) and vinegar. In this stage, hexanal, an aldehyde emitted by the bodies in their first decomposition stage and whose aroma resembles freshly cut grass is also used as a top note. For the third stage, a mixture of relaxing and aphrodisiac aromas such as cinnamon, vanilla, orange blossom and mint are employed.

This work was commissioned by the Museo del Perfume de la Ciudad de México, MUPE, for the Sinestesia exhibition by curator Iván Edeza.