Inspired by the olfactory bravado of the original Smelling Committee of 1891, this interactive artwork is a goofy yet meaningful ecological awakening through the sensory exploration of our neighborhoods.
Artists Caitlin Berrigan and Michael McBean invite reflection upon the ephemeral, odiferous fabric of urban neighborhoods. We use our eyes to navigate geographies, but it is our sense of smell that ties us most tautly to our emotional memories. Histories of New York are ripe with scents and stinks, some rousing citizen action just as the Smelling Committee of 1891 discovered oil refinery pollution along Newtown Creek. The Smelling Committee revival attempts to map a small portion of this heritage as a collective endeavor. Participants are invited to embark upon an audio-guided investigation of the aromatic territories of our neighborhoods by downloading the tracks, which loosely correspond to locations in Manhattan but may be listened to anywhere.
Perhaps patterns of culture, pollution, cuisine, disarray, weeds and refuse will emerge - developing a new natural history of the stench and fragrance of twenty-first century New York.
Caitlin Berrigan and Michael McBean are interested in creating multi-sensorial objects, spaces and experiences inspired by instances of absurdity.
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