fragances The Museum of Arts and Design's Curator of Olfactory Art, Chandler Burr.

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MUSEUM OF ART AND DESIGN

The Museum of Arts and Design's Curator of Olfactory Art, Chandler Burr.

A showcase for the work of 12 great historical and contemporary perfumers, the New York museum exhibit The Art of Scent will explore the role of luxury fragrance as major medium of artistic creation.

Due to open November 12, but delayed until November 20th due to Hurricane Sandy, the exhibition at New York's Museum of Arts and Design focuses on 12 famous perfumes produced between 1889 and 2012. 

Spanning the ages, the show examines classic fragrances like Ernest Beaux's Chanel No. 5 from 1921 alongside more modern work like Daniela Andrier's Untitled (2010).

Curated by Chandler Burr, previously perfume critic at The New York Times and the museum's curator of olfactory art since December 2010, the exhibition seeks to explore the evolution of commercial fragrances by putting scents under the proverbial microscope.

Acclaimed architects Diller, Scofidio + Renfro designed the minimalist space. The firm has installed advanced atomizing machines (built into the gallery's walls) which will spray controlled streams of perfumes in an attempt to remove the link between the fragrances' branding and their olfactory qualities. An interactive salon will illustrate the design behind the scents, while a series of talks and workshops will also take place, featuring star perfumers including Yves Cassar and Carlos Benaim.

Burr aims to expose the innovations in scent design, including the use of synthetic fragrance materials, which created an explosion in the expressive potential of perfumery during the 20th century.

Holly Hotchner, the museum's director, said in the Financial Times that this is "the first major museum exhibition to explore olfactory art as a distinct and individual medium -- to position it alongside the fine arts and design."

The exhibition opens on November 20, 2012 and continues through February 24, 2013.

www.madmuseum.org

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/fashion/art-scent-explores-history-perfume-article-1.1200651#ixzz2C6ImDsys