CILMA SCENT BANK, (2019 - 2021)
(Left to right)
Tsunami Blend 01: Oakmoss, PNW, smoke, beeswax,ylang ylang, nutmeg, ozone, geosmin, seaweed
Tsunami Blend 02: Oakmoss, howood, angelica, nutmeg, ylang ylang, smoke, white oak, ozone, geosmin, seaweed
Tsunami Blend 03: Oakmoss, kade, howood, angelica, nutmeg, ylang ylang, smoke, white oak, ozone, geosmin, seaweed
Mountain Blend 01: Sage commons, clary sage, bergamot, black spruce, fir needle, atlas cedar wood, ylang ylang, Virginia cedarwood
Grief Blend 01: Lavender, ylang ylang, clary sage, geranium, bergamot, frankincense
The Scent Bank is a growing collection of scents produced by CILMA. The scent library currently includes Tsunami Blend(s) 01- 03, Mountain Blend 01, and Grief Blend 01. The vessels are composed of cork, a highly malleable and sustainable material, and rocks, implemented here to symbolize the earth-body as well as to refer to humans, tools, and survival. The composition of material elements elevates the use of these fragrances to a place of communication similar to and sometimes utilizing terpenes (Mountain Blend 01). The fragrances become potion-like, filled with purpose and the implications of ritual.
The Scent Bank takes its naming inspiration from Seed Banks, which compile and maintain libraries of seeds in an effort to avoid total loss of seed diversity. The association, though obscure, presents a narrative of survival that is echoed in the use of the braided copper wire used to mount the rock vessels. Copper, as a material, has a myriad of uses that span from electrical uses (power generation, transmission, distribution) to aiding the human body through production of energy and red blood cells in addition to maintaining both the immune system and the nervous system. Copper is a trace mineral imperative to human survival.
The Scent Bank recognizes the importance of systems like seed banks as placing emphases on new methods of preservation and invokes this intention to incite dialogue about human interaction, communication and reliance in a more-than-human world. The implications of human survival within these objects refer us back towards considerations of the climate crisis. Through this work, CILMA explores whether re-imagining how and what we communicate with can bring about new awareness and consideration for our environment.
