The reminiscing power of smell is something that everybody can relate to. It can catch an individual unaware, instantly transporting them to a previous moment in time - it’s a powerful sensory experience.

Harnessing this evocative feeling is French design graduate Mickael Wiesengrun and Norwegian chemist Sisel Tolaas. The two have restored a derelict light bulb factory to its previous bustling glory by using the power of smell. The installation, entitled Revelateur (Developer), restores the forgotten scents that once embodied the factory’s character by turning distilled chemical scents into a single vapour which subtly permeates the room. The specific smells - sweat, grease and metal - were chosen after referring to old documentaries about the factory, as well as conversations with former employees, in order to identify the most redolent of all the scents.

The installation, currently in De Witte Damme, is inspired by the smells that formed Wiesengrun’s own childhood - coming from Chamonix these were the likes pine, snow, mountain air and ice - and the stark contrast he felt when he moved to the more industrial surroundings of Eindhoven to pursue his studies. Wiesengrun intends to tour with Revelateur, introducing the installation to new spaces and thus, to new smells.

Le Cinéma Olfactif also spoke to our sense of smell by injecting different aromas into the audience during Michel Gondry’s futuristic, jazz-noir film L'Écume des Jours (Mood Indigo) for a heightened multi-sensory experience.