I took the opportunity to come to Athens to attend The 7th Experimental Scent Summit and The 12th Art and Olfaction Awards (event link) organised by The Institute for Art and Olfaction (website). I wanted to gain inspiration and meet interesting people from around the world to expand my artistic practice.


The 7th Experimental Scent Summit, 9 June

Fifteen speakers shared their projects, and I was inspired by all of them.

Several presenters shared how their projects address inclusion, and it was interesting to listen to their perspectives and discuss their approaches:

ScentDia: The Olfactory Turn in Social Robotics by Elena Vosnaki, Luisa Damiano, and Manos Gerakinis (website)

The humanoid robot interacts with people and its surroundings through movements, sounds and, in particular, olfactory stimuli, incorporated in this version to enrich its social presence and agency. In the olfactory dimension of ScentDia is expressed the first scent developed for a social robot: it does not resemble any biological or human being scent, to promote the philosophical and ethical choice to introduce social robots, in the contexts of our everyday life, as new partners for us humans, and not as our substitutes.
— ScentDia (source)

The presenters mentioned that they aim to create opportunities for interaction with blind people. ScentDia has the potential to trigger memories through scent, and I found it fascinating to think about how olfaction and robotics can come together to contribute to inclusion.


The Small Brand Advantage Toward Accessibility and Inclusion by Dave Kern (website)

Dave shared perfume bottles featuring Braille text. I had an interesting discussion with him about naming perfumes when Braille requires much more space than printed text. Should perfume names be shorter to fit on the label? How should labels be designed to balance accessibility and aesthetics?


One of my artistic interests is stimulating audiences' senses beyond vision alone. I was fascinated by a presentation that approached smell and taste through the lens of Japanese culture:

Listening to the Moss: Translating Terroir, Time, and Memory through Olfaction by Sari Noguchi

Sari explained that in Japan we say “listening to scent” rather than “smelling scent”. It is about listening to the voices of materials as well as to oneself.

She gave us a lip balm and asked us to apply it to our lips. We then tasted a spice containing the five basic tastes—sweetness, saltiness, sourness, bitterness, and umami—while "listening" to a scented branch as part of a ritual.


Residual Contact, 9 June

Residual Contact was a group exhibition in which six perfumes were paired with works by twelve artists. I enjoyed seeing contemporary Greek art and experiencing how the artworks and fragrances interacted with one another, creating new forms of expression through their combination.


Aroma: A Greek Scent Fair, 10 June

Five Greek perfume brands came together to present their fragrances:

    - Angelos Créations Olfactives (website)
    - BARUTI Perfumes (website)
    - Klio Parfums (website)
    - Little Bottle Perfumes (website)
    - The Things Past (website).

I enjoyed exploring the fragrances from all of the brands and exchanging thoughts and impressions with other visitors.


The 12th Art and Olfaction Awards, 11 June

I was glad to celebrate this special moment for the winners, finalists, and all applicants. It was also wonderful to appreciate the efforts of the organisers and sponsors, and to experience the fragrances created by the finalists.

Winners of 2026:

Artisan Category Winner

The artisan category is open to brands that are owned or co-owned (minimum 35% ownership) by the brand's primary perfumer, who initiated and created the submitted perfume's formula in-house and released it in 2025.  
— The Institute for Art and Olfaction (source)

    - Aethi Opum by Maya Njie (website)
    - Death by Vanity by Rivendare


Independent Category Winner

The Independent category is open to brands that employed an external perfumer or fragrance house to initiate and create the formula for the submitted perfume, which was then released under the brand's name in 2025.
— The Institute for Art and Olfaction (source)

    - Ici, le pas s’arrête by TERRA•T (website)
    - Nuit Elastique by Première Peau (website)


Newcomer Award Winner

This award celebrates newcomers to the industry. Awarded to a perfume from a brand who launched their first fine fragrance product to market in 2025.
— The Institute for Art and Olfaction (source)

    - Water Moon by Oneiros (website)


Sadakichi Award Winner

The experimental category is for creative or experimental practitioners who make use of scent in an unconventional or experimental manner that takes it out of the domain of traditional perfumery. Projects must have been first made public in 2025.
— The Institute for Art and Olfaction (source)

    - Goavve-Geabbil (Hyundai Commission) by Nadjib Achaibou and Máret Ánne Sara (website)


Contribution to Scent Culture Winner

Given to an outstanding person who has made significant contributions to the proliferation, public awareness, or appreciation of practices with scent and perfumery.
— The Institute for Art and Olfaction (source)

    - Grant Osborne (website)


Visionary Award Winner

This award is given on an annual basis to an outstanding person or collective showing proof of exceptional vision with regards to how scent is used, developed, or imagined.
— The Institute for Art and Olfaction (source)

    - L'Osmothèque (website)


People's Choice Awards 2026:

The People's Choice vote is an informal game where visitors to the IAO and Awards activities are given a ballot to vote for two favorites in the artisan and independent categories.
— The Institute for Art and Olfaction (source)

    - Artisan: Dandelion Butter by Clue Perfumery (website)
    - Independent: Verdant by Ilé Olomu (website)     

Reflections

Throughout my time in Athens, I felt increasingly motivated to explore scent and olfaction more deeply within my artistic practice. I realised that scent has enormous potential as a medium for expressing my artistic ideas and values.

I am grateful that I had the opportunity to attend these events. The experience also gave me a new goal: to present my own work at a future Experimental Scent Summit and to apply for the Sadakichi Award category.