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Michelle von Mandel

The sacred scent of moss: an olfactory art installation

Updated: Feb 27, 2020

originally published Nov. 20, 2017


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I am pleased to share that I will be part of a group exhibition that opens at the Crypt Gallery in London this Friday, the 24th of November. My work for the show is based on stacks of stones that I noticed at temples when I was in Kyoto last summer for an artist residency. I was curious about the ritual behind the stacks. Through my research I found that in the Buddhist faith, the act of stacking stones is sometimes regarded as a form of worship, while other times it is a request for good fortune, whereby each stone represents a specific wish. The practice is believed to increase awareness, balance, and concentration. My piece is an installation of hand-made white clay stones imbued with the scent of moss, a plant that is prevalent and sometimes deemed sacred in Kyoto. My aim is that the visual simplicity of the white stones, combined with the evocative scent, will create a space of tranquillity for the audience to enter.

If you are in London on Friday please feel free to come to the Private View from 6-9pm at the Crypt Gallery on Euston Road:

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