hanahana

Concept: Kunoh Kyoko
Chikamori Motoshi
Kakehi Yasuaki
Date: 2007

Air the secret of scents! Spray one of the leaf-shaped test strips with the fragrance of your choice and attach it to the installation’s vase. You’ll be surprised to see which flower blooms!

The Japanese word “hana” has two meanings: it designates the nose, the sensory organ of smell, and also refers to a fragrant flower. This installation merges the two meanings into the compound word “hanahana” and thereby visualizes flowers as fleeting, fragrant messages.

The type of fragrance and its intensity influence the color and form of the projected flowers. If the strength of the fragrance exceeds a predetermined limit value, insects and animals appear around the flower as if they had been drawn to it. The projections are meant to make installation visitors consciously aware of fragrances and odors that are often too fleeting to be perceived in everyday life.

In “hanahana,” fragrances are recognized in real time by olfactory sensors that identify the particular odor, measure its intensity and classify it. The measured data are then fed into a computer that projects the corresponding image in real time (approximately 60 images per second) onto the wall of the installation space.