Exhalations

A Survey of Olfactory Art

By: Sandra BarrÃ©

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Hardcover | 15 October 2026

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Hardcover
232 Pages

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22.86 x 15.24 x 1.42

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What if art history were written through the nose? 'Exhalations: A Survey of Olfactory Art' is the first comprehensive English-language book to trace a century of olfactory practices in art, from the Futurists' early experiments with scent to the bacterial installations of Anicka Yi, from Marcel Duchamp's sealed vial of Parisian air to the ecological interventions of Peter de Cupere. Through the analysis of more than one hundred works, Sandra Barr© demonstrates the extent to which smell has shaped modern and contemporary artistic practice, despite its persistent marginalization within criticism and institutions. Neither a medium nor a unified movement, olfactory art spans from Dada, Arte Povera, Fluxus, body art, Land Art, feminist practices, to postcolonial critique. Its concerns are equally wide-ranging: memory, desire, decay, gender, and ecological crisis. In doing so, it unsettles the ocularcentrism that has dominated Western art history since the Enlightenment, the assumption that vision constitutes the primary mode of aesthetic knowledge. Smell operates differently. It enters the body immediately, resisting stable interpretation and singular meaning. Two individuals may encounter the same smell and experience entirely different realities, neither of which can be fully privileged over the other. Drawing on archival research, conversations with artists, and years of curatorial practice, 'Exhalations: A Survey of Olfactory Art' is both a historical survey and a history of encounters. The book advances a compelling and overdue argument: that smell has always been present within artistic practice, that it has always carried meaning, and that attending to it transforms our understanding of art history itself.

Originally published in French in 2021 by 'Les ditions de la Lettre Vol©e', 'Exhalations: A Survey of Olfactory Art' is translated into English by artist Emilie McDermott.

Industry Reviews

Not only does Sandra Barr© unlock an invisible element within art history through compelling examples, but she also demonstrates that we can only practice olfactory art history when we no longer view scents through a visual lens and start practicing an olfactory gaze instead.

Dr. Caro Lisette Verbeek

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands;

Embedded researcher in olfactory heritage (VU, Rijksmuseum, International Flavours & Fragrances);

Curator at Kunstmuseum, The Hague, Netherlands

This book provides a much-needed overview of the history of olfactory art, filling a significant gap in the field. It deepens Ashraf Osman's 2013 "Olfactory Art" article, and references many olfactory art projects that have remained in the shadows of mainstream art history. By organizing these works into an interesting set of rubriques, Sandra Barr© renders this olfactory art "catalog" (if you will) manageable.

Gwenn-A«l Lynn

Independent transdisciplinary artist

Barr© has written an important book: A celebration of olfaction in art, and a foundational text for any further efforts at understanding the medium. Her thorough research repeatedly demonstrates how scent has served as a vital and impactful tool for artists, with thoughtful examples of historical and contemporary work. With "Exhalations", Barr© has provided an eloquent defense of a vital creative practice, and has helped cement the importance of smell as a valid mode of art-making.

Saskia Wilson-Brown

Founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Art and Olfaction, Los Angeles

At a time when artistic interventions involving smells are becoming increasingly prevalent, this book provides a timely overview of the diverse avenues and possibilities that olfactory artists have explored since the 1990s. It not only emphasises the diversity of works and artistic approaches that explore the potential of smells, but also the range of issues and challenges that odours raise in art. Offering valuable insights, it promises to be a valuable resource for anyone interested in one of the most exciting emerging fields in contemporary art.

Dr. Erika Wicky

Universit© Grenoble Alpes, France

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