Test I

Georgia Munnik’s Strangling Fruit acts as a holder and diffuser of a handmade perfume. Titled Phenotype 13, the perfume has notes of tree moss, lemon verbena tinctures, white musk, jasmine, and patchouli, amongst other ingredients, which were sourced and synthesised by the artist.

Test II

For Fragrant Tests, Putter revisits his 2007 artwork 20 Smells. Rather than repeating it, he has created a forthcoming, smaller work for A4, titled 6 Smells, to be realised as a potential module for a larger reimagining of 20 Smells, centering on indole—a chemical that hovers tantalisingly between the living and the dead, linking decay and bloom.

Test III

For this test, the curator saturated one cedar wood block with atchar oil and one ceramic disc with mandarin oil to evaluate the radius of the aroma and how long the smell lasted.

Test IV

The curator was interested in testing ways that plants can introduce scent into an exhibition. Mindful of the allergens that flowers can release, Davids made an arrangement using eucalyptus and lemon leaves, gently bruising them to encourage the release of their oils.

Test V

The end corner of a number of wayfinder for Fragrant Tests was scented with Benzoin oil, a resin harvested from the bark of several species of Styrax trees. The curator described the smell as “a warm balsamic note reminiscent of vanilla or caramel.” Visitors could choose a scented or unscented wayfinder, depending on their preference.