Suspensio: An Interruption in Time

About

Olfactory Art Keller is honored to present Suspensio: An Interruption in Time, an olfactory and sculptural installation by Josely Carvalho, a Rio de Janeiro and New York City based multisensory artist. Suspensio is the next series of her Diary of Smells, which presents olfaction alongside the visual art that has prevailed in her body of work. Reflecting on Suspensio, the artist writes: 

“We are living in a moment of political, environmental, health, and social crisis. The pandemic interrupted the rhythms of daily life, placing us all in a state of suspension. The risk of an invisible virus, political unrest, environmental disasters and racial injustice in both of my countries, the United States and Brazil, led me to find refuge in my garden. I watched wild birds come to eat from the bushes and fly in the open air. I focused on the contours of the tree branches, smelled fresh green after the rain, and sniffed the fermented scent of lantana flowers near my window”.

Suspensio: An Interruption in Time was conceived of and created during this period. As one enters the gallery, one is enveloped in a deep blue light and encounters four smells inserted into blown glass branches, claws, and empty nests surrounded by dried vines and hanging in the air. The smells, Burrow, Incense II, Emptiness, and Suspension, encapsulated in crystal beads, were created by the artist in collaboration with Leandro Petit of Givaudan do Brasil. Burrow is an animalic scent, made of dark notes that transport us inside the protective nest of the earth. Incense II calls to mind the freshness of forests and tree resin. Emptiness interprets the discomfort of feeling displaced in space and time. Suspension is the duality of being cocooned while facing danger and risk. In the world of Suspensio, there is a meditative tranquility amidst uncertainty and fear.