Newswise — PHILADELPHIA (October 11, 2011) -- Raewyn Turner, an internationally known installation artist based in Auckland New Zealand, will be artist-in-residence at the Monell Center from October 10 through November 3, 2011. While at Monell, Turner will be hosted by Danielle Reed, Ph.D. who attended the opening of one of Turner’s installations while lecturing in New Zealand.
Turner’s work explores the intersection of olfaction and experience through various media, including video, light, smell, and paint. She has created several projects that combine smell with creative expression, such as ReSense and 4000 Varieties of Orange and most recently has collaborated with Dr. Richard Newcomb, a molecular biologist at the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research. “The invitation to visit Monell as artist-in-residence is an important opportunity for my professional development, as it will allow me to underpin experiential art works with scientific discovery,” says Turner.
Turner currently is working on an art + science project entitled PLUME, which focuses on communicative scent messages. Of particular interest at Monell is the research of behavioral biologist Gary Beauchamp, Ph.D., on individual identification via bodily odortypes and of olfactory neuroscientist Charles Wysocki, Ph.D., on individual differences in odor perception.
While in Philadelphia, Turner also will participate in an educational program at the Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. She also will interact with the staff at Breadboard, a program at the University Science Center that facilitates cross-disciplinary art exhibits.
The Monell Center has a long-standing interest in promoting olfactory art as a means of educating the public about the sense of smell. Previous ventures include two olfactory art exhibits, Scent is Life and Odor Limits, held in conjunction with Breadboard’s Esther Klein Gallery. Earlier this year, Glasgow-based artist Clara Ursitti, who displayed two works in Odor Limits, made an exploratory visit to the Center with plans to return for a longer residency.
“We see the cross-disciplinary promotion of art as yet another way that Monell can introduce the public to our mission – to understand the senses of taste and smell for the betterment of human health and well-being. Communication of emotion is a primary function of olfaction, which may explain why many artists are attracted to olfactory art as a means of expression,” said Beauchamp, who also serves as Monell’s Director.
Turner’s visit is funded by a Fulbright New Zealand Travel Award. For more information about her work, visit http://raewynturner.co.nz/, where she will also blog about her experience at Monell.
The Monell Chemical Senses Center is an independent nonprofit basic research institute based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Monell advances scientific understanding of the mechanisms and functions of taste and smell to benefit human health and well-being. Using an interdisciplinary approach, scientists collaborate in the programmatic areas of sensation and perception; neuroscience and molecular biology; environmental and occupational health; nutrition and appetite; health and well-being; development, aging and regeneration; and chemical ecology and communication. For more information about Monell, visit www.monell.org.
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