Smellmap: Amsterdam—Olfactory Art and Smell Visualization

Abstract Creating a smellmap of a city is a subjective, collaborative exercise. During a series of smellwalks local participants foreground their sense of smell and name perceived aromas emanating from the urban smell-scape. Data and conversations arising from the walks are “analyzed,” and a representative smellscape of the city is visualized as a map. Scents—the nasal stimuli and a catalyst for discussion—accompany the map. As a map of what we do not know, indications of geolocated smell possibilities and ephemeral scents combine visualization with the olfactory to place the emphasis on human interaction with sensory data to create meaning and an understanding of place.