Whispers of Pastoral Scents

Free
Culinary Arts
Exhibition

Curated by
Edible Issues

The Old GMC Complex

14th December - 21st December
11:00 AM - 07:00 PM

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This project is an olfactory exploration of the pastoral communities of the Deccan Plateau, focusing on smell as a vital medium to understand culture, memory, and ecology. Pastoral life in this landscape is shaped not only by movement, labor, and traditions but also by an invisible world of scents that anchor people to their environment. The smoke from household fires, the earthy fragrance of rain on dry soil, the pungency of dung used as fuel, the musty aroma of stored fodder, and the warmth of livestock together create a layered olfactory map of everyday life.

Unlike visual or textual archives, smell is transient and often neglected in documentation, yet it carries deep emotional and mnemonic weight. It has the power to evoke belonging, nostalgia, and cultural identity, connecting individuals to their lived histories in profound ways. The methodology includes smell mapping, journaling, and on-site olfactory collection during field visits, alongside dialogues with community members to understand how scents are perceived, remembered, and valued in their daily lives. These smells—whether of seasonal changes, animal life, or human activity—will be transformed into a sensory installation that invites audiences to experience pastoral life through immersion in smellscapes.

The project is a part of Smell, Memory and Food Systems. In the context of food systems and climate change, smell becomes an act of resistance, remembrance, and imagination. This curation looks to invite audiences to experience olfaction beyond nostalgia, to explore the worlds that have been erased, ecosystems in flux, and the futures we dream of tasting.