Aesop Nasothèque: Pleasure and Purpose
The Aesop Nasothèque is a celebration of olfaction through performance and an intricate installation of casted plaster noses.
Aesop is known for their value of design as seen through the interior of each store, seasonal packaging sets and partnerships with creative practitioners. This installation titled Pleasure and Purpose, continues their value for creativity while representing the union of evocative essential oils underpinned by the science of olfaction.
The installation fills a series of MYER’s windows in Melbourne, Australia, with different elements consuming each space. The work is comprised of a four part Nose Lab that begins with the Production Lab, where individuals noses are cast in plaster. The plaster cast then moves through the Curing Lab, and Installation Lab before being added to the Nasothèque itself, which displays the series of hand crafted plaster noses. Elements of live performance occur throughout as noses are cast, shaped and added to the Nasothèque. The result is a collection of nose casts that will grow in size over the duration of the display.
fluoro spoke with Carolyn Jackson, Aesop’s International Visual Merchandising Manager about how the concept she conceived for the installation embodies the human olfactory sense.
(f) Why is engagement with the arts so important to Aesop’s design philosophy?
(CJ) Just as we believe unequivocally that well-considered design improves our lives, we regard the arts as avenues through which to inspire, learn and communicate. So as a constant addition to our commercial activities, we explore and support the arts via partnerships with a variety of organisations, events, and individual practitioners.
(f) Tell us more about how the Nose Lab marries science and design.
(CJ) The casting procedure takes place in a meticulously designed setting, for which our approach is somewhat playful. Its aesthetic recalls a Cabinet of Curiosities, and the performance mirrors scientific research, the sculptural process, and curatorial work alike: nose-casting is followed by fabrication, finishing, analysis and installation. The whole is symbolic of a deep respect for the essential oils with which we work, the science involved in their use, and the marvels of human biology and creativity.
(f) What was the goal with the design of a space such as the Nose Lab?
(CJ) Our intention from the start was to express Aesop’s philosophy of scent in an intriguing manner, and to engage the community directly. The idea for the nose-casting process emerged from our early discussions around this concept.
We are aware our products are noted for the aromas that come from essential oils used in their formulation; and these are indeed an olfactory treat. So in part, we are celebrating sensory pleasure. However, each essential oil is selected primarily for the benefits it imparts to the skin and hair, so we are also celebrating purpose and efficacy. The design of the Nose Lab is intended to embody both pleasure and purpose through a multi-dimensional display that provides an appealing, unexpected experience to passers-by.
(f) How does the Nose Lab represent your interest in spaces that are poetic and functional?
(CJ) The concept extends the design philosophy and materiality of our retail spaces to include a performative element. Unlike architecture where manipulation of a space can evoke emotional responses, the barrier of the window façade provided interesting challenges. We have attempted to address these by extending performance and display beyond the window – with scented noses sitting on the façade and a custom sound-scape aired externally.
(f) Moving beyond the aesthetic, how does Aesop’s value of the sense lend itself to curating spaces such as the Nose Lab?
(CJ) We have all been transported by a familiar scent that evokes a time and place of significance to us; our sense of smell plays an integral role in memory and many other aspects of our daily lives. Yet the nose is rarely featured within cosmetic campaigns – it tends to be neglected, or to have negative connotations.
Aesop has always appreciated notions of beauty beyond the conventional, and as we began to discuss the role of essential oils in our products, broader thoughts, conversations and explorations around olfactory sense and science almost inevitably led to the concept for the Nose Lab. In highlighting this often under-appreciated feature and inviting Melbourne visitors to have their own nose cast for exhibition, we not only address our intended topic but also celebrate beauty in diversity.
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Aesop Nasothèque is on display in Melbourne, Australia until Wednesday 23 April 2014. There are plans for the Nasothèque concept to travel, with a different creative installation confirmed to be rolled out in Hong Kong.
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