INSOLITE

Quand les odeurs nous font voyager dans le temps et  l'espace !                         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            L’exposition Urban Olfactory à San Francisco permet au public de découvrir des reconstitutions de parfums et d’atmosphères de divers époques. Un beau projet qui montre à quel point les odeurs ont pu avoir un impact sur la gestion des villes au cours de l’histoire.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Et si on faisait un peu d’histoire avec nos nez ? C’est ce que proposel’exposition Urban Olfactory à San Francisco qui offre aux visiteurs la possibilité de voyager dans le temps et l’espace à travers… les odeurs et les parfums ! On y retrouve aussi bien des reconstitutions odorantes de Paris en 1738, du détroit du Bosphore et de ses épices au Moyen-Âge, de la cour de Louis XIV, d’une autoroute du New-Jersey pendant une tempête ou du port de Rotterdam de nos jours.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Organisée par le SPUR, l’association de planification et de recherche urbaine de San Francisco, l’exposition offre un regard neuf sur l’histoire et l’évolution des villes. Elle est chapeautée par deux historiens du California College of Arts, David Gissen et Irene Cheng, mais des parfumeurs comme le Français Christophe Laudamiel ont aussi mis leur savoir-faire au service du projet.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Une influence sur le planning urbain :

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       "Un des points de l’exposition est de penser les odeurs en tant que forces historiques, détaille David Gissen au site The Atlantic Cities. [Cela montre] comment les odeurs d’une ville peuvent la pousser à se transformer, par le biais d’une discipline sociale basée sur des idéologies de la propreté et des modèles rationnels de management municipal. Les odeurs ont sans aucun doute incité certaines idées sur la planification des villes".

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Il faut bien le dire, tout n’est pas franchement très agréable aux narines dans cette exposition. Les odeurs sont conservées dans des vitrines à couvercles que l’on n’a pas toujours envie d’ouvrir une seconde fois. Le parfum Paris 1738 utilise ainsi du cassis pour rappeler l’urine et de la pyrazine pour suggérer des égouts à l’air libre.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Heureusement, l’exposition met à disposition des visiteurs des verres remplis de grains de cafés pour chasser immédiatement les mauvaises odeurs et faire oublier à leur nez les sensations désagréables.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   De la pollution en bocal :

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Il existe également un parfum de pure pollution. "C’est censé capturer l’odeur ambiante de la combustion d’hydrocarbures dans l’air. C’est une odeur très gênante, précise au cas où David Gissen. La première fois que je l’ai sentie, j’ai presque pleuré. En un instant vous ressentez toute la dégradation environnementale qui a lieu".

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Si jamais vous passez par San Francisco, l’exposition a lieu jusqu’au 31 mai. L’occasion rêvée d’acquérir le fameux parfum pollution, en vente pour la modique somme de 432 dollars le kilo.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             (Source : Maxi Sciences)