Date: September 2015
Medium: Performance, Glass, Scent, Sound, Flowers, Soil
Dimensions: 10 feet x 10 feet x 5 feet
This is a collection of interactive blown glass objects, flowers and found materials that conjure the ritual object through the Philippine flower, the ylang ylang. I lament the way Western perfume makers have exploited the flower without attributing the rich scent to its country of origin. I illustrate this through a look into the distillation of oils. This installation conjures a perfumer’s laboratory and illustrates a transformation from the live flower, from the oil form to the perfume. I used a Chanel No. 5 bottle, to represent one of the more popular cases of patenting a flower from the developing world.
This installation serves as a set for a performance, within an artificial garden where the scent is dispersed during the performance. As the performer within the space I instigate the ritual of experiencing this scent through singing to the plants before they are watered everyday.
For a detailed view of these sculptures click here.
Registered as Goldieland Studio / New York, NY