Conceptual art goes molecular with works you can smell but can’t see, and one that ‘sees’ you
- Immersive exhibition features fragrance molecules pumped from electronic diffusers, and an array of test tubes growing retinal cells like those in our eyes
- ‘As a sculptor I have always been interested in transforming materials,’ says Detroit-based Sean Raspet, who wants art to connect better with reality
Sean Raspet is a 38-year-old conceptual artist in Detroit who used to work with hair gel. These days, his material of choice is even more unconventional. He has literally stripped his practice down to the molecular level, as he considers the role of art in an age dominated by global capitalism, environmental concerns and quantum leaps in technology.
His first Hong Kong solo exhibition is called “New Molecules and Stem Cell Retinoid Screen”, a literal description of the two works he has brought to Empty Gallery’s minimally lit space.
The “New Molecules” refer to three fragrance molecules Raspet has developed with Zheng Shengping, associate professor of chemistry at Hunter College in New York. These are entirely new smells that have not existed before; each one is pumped out from electronic diffusers mounted on the walls of three adjoining rooms.
Visitors move through Fructaplex©, a fruity, plasticky smell reminiscent of artificial car air-fresheners, to Sylvoxime©, which has a comforting sylvan note of a walk through the forest, before hitting the intense and complex smell called Hyperflor©, which Raspet describes as somewhere between fresh flower petals and putrid, overripe vegetation.
This is immersive art that is still sculptural in terms of its molecular structure and how it is experienced spatially (the scent changes depending on where you stand). A crucial characteristic of the work is that each scent can be sold to perfumeries as a commercial raw material.