The three-year project explores smell as a cultural phenomenon and the possibilities of its use in the museums in Slovenia. Smell does not exist on its own, but is always linked to olfactory habits, practices, beliefs, prejudices, and the smell socialisation. Smell is neither sociocultural nor temporally universal, but it is crucial to social relations and shapes cultural identity and moral values. Therefore, the project investigates:
1) The types of olfactory cultural heritage;
2) The concept of smell as it is verbalised in language, illustrating moral, racial, or social prejudices;
3) The olfactory imaginary in the history of medicine, philosophy, and religion;
4) The cultivation of the sense of smell;
5) Smell as an expression of social prejudice, stigma, discrimination;
6) The application of olfactory science in museums;
7) The impact of loss of smell on quality of life.
The project is fundamental for the development of disciplines that address cultural heritage, such as anthropology, ethnology, history, archaeology, art history, museology and linguistics. Also, the project will include collaboration with other disciplines, such as chemistry, medicine, economy and computer science.
The Aims of the Project
– Developing methods for identifying and tracking olfactory references in digital image and text collections from Slovenian databases;
– Developing digital tools that allow different stakeholders and audiences to freely access and interact with the project’s data and stories;
– Defining and promoting measurable standards and best practices for olfaction;
– Educating and training cultural heritage professionals in the use of olfactory heritage strategies;
– Developing heritage policy recommendations for the preservation and protection of olfactory heritage;
– Educating people about smell and quality of life and the medical history of the sense of smell;
– Developing strategies for museum olfactory didactic activities.
Partnership:
The project J7-50233 is funded by ARIS (Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency) and involves:
– University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Heritage Science Laboratory Ljubljana (Mojca Ramšak, Matija Strlič, Irena Kralj Cigić, Abdelrazek Elnaggar, Karla Oder, Barbara Pia Jenič, Špela Pok, Fabiana Di Gianvincenzo)
– University of Maribor, Faculty of Economics and Business (Aleksandra Pisnik, Borut Milfelner, Domen Malc, Nina Rakuša)
– The Jožef Stefan Institute (Marko Grobelnik, Inna Novalija, Janez Brank, Dunja Mladenić)
– University Medical Centre Ljubljana (Jure Urbančič, Domen Vozel)
– Slovene Ethnographic Museum (Tjaša Zidarič, Anamarija Motnikar, Nina Dečko)
– National Museum of Slovenia (Darko Knez, Jernej Kotar, Gašper Oitzl)
You can follow the project Sicris page and Facebook page for more updates.
Publications and other research achievements
Scientific articles
ODER, Karla. Aus der Geschichte der Schmiede und des Eisenwerks von Muta (Hohenmauthen). Carinthia I : Mittheilungen des Geschichtsvereines für Kärnten. 2024, jahr. 214, str. 215-228, ilustr. ISSN 0008-6606. [COBISS.SI-ID 217250307]
ODER, Karla. Aus der Geschichte des Eisenwerks zu Mislinja (Missling) von Baron Žiga (Sigismund) Zois. Carinthia I : Mittheilungen des Geschichtsvereines für Kärnten. 2024, jahr. 216, str. 359-368, ilustr. ISSN 0008-6606. [COBISS.SI-ID 217248259]
RAMŠAK, Mojca. Olfactory stereotyping and anti-Roma racism: the cultural significance of ‘Roma smell’ in Slovene anthropology, history, literature, and criminology. Razprave in gradivo: revija za narodnostna vprašanja. 2024, no. 93, str. 5-28. ISSN 0354-0286. https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/tdjes-2024-0015, DOI: 10.2478/tdjes-2024-0015. [COBISS.SI-ID 221577219].
RAMŠAK, Mojca. Pleasant and unpleasant smells in the Bible = Prijetni in neprijetni vonji v Svetem pismu. Edinost in dialog: revija za ekumensko teologijo in medreligijski dialog. 2024, letn. 79, št. 1, str. 207-222. ISSN 2335-4127. https://www.teof.uni-lj.si/uploads/File/Edinost/79/01/Ramsak.pdf, https://www.teof.uni-lj.si/zaloznistvo/edinost-in-dialog/edinost-in-dialog-79-2024-1, Repozitorij Univerze v Ljubljani – RUL, DOI: 10.34291/Edinost/79/01/Ramsak. [COBISS.SI-ID 211618307]
RAMŠAK, Mojca. Olfactory heritage in Slovenian museums. Monitor ISH: revija za humanistične in družbene znanosti. 2024, letn. 26, št. 1, str. 5-29, ilustr. ISSN 1580-688X. https://www.ish.si/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/AMEU-ISH_Monitor_1-2024_WEB.pdf. [COBISS.SI-ID 228549123]
Published scientific conference contribution
Independent scientific component part or a chapter in a monograph
ODER, Karla. Voda, rudarstvo in železarstvo na Koroškem. V: RENDLA, Marta (ur.). Potenciali in upravljanje vodá. Med preteklostjo in sedanjostjo. Ljubljana: Inštitut za novejšo zgodovino, 2024. Str. 167-195, ilustr. Zbirka Vpogledi, 27. ISBN 978-961-7104-42-4. ISSN 2350-5656. [COBISS.SI-ID 218509315]
RAMŠAK, Mojca. The intangible and transient heritage of odours: an anthropological consideration. In: MCBRIDE, Nuri (Ed.), WILSON-BROWN, Saskia (Ed.). Alabastron: aromatic history and culture. Los Angeles: Institute for Art and Olfaction Editions, 2024. Str. 36-52, ilustr. Alabastron, vol. 1. ISBN 979-8-218-36348-2. [COBISS.SI-ID 199449091]
Polemic, discussion, commentary
RAMŠAK, Mojca. Predlog dopolnitve Zakona o varovanju kulturne dediščine: Leto dediščine: Mnenja in pripombe k predlogu Zakona o varovanju kulturne dediščine (ZVKD-2). Filozofska fakulteta: FF. jan. 2025, 1 spletni vir. https://www.ff.uni-lj.si/leto-dediscine-ff. [COBISS.SI-ID 226853379]
Reviews, book reviews, critiques
RAMŠAK, Mojca. Darko Knez, Vonj po tobaku: Pribor za kajenje iz zbirke Narodnega muzeja Slovenije = The Scent of Tobacco: Smoking Paraphernalia at the National Museum of Slovenia. Ljubljana: Narodni muzej Slovenije, 2024, 320 str. Etnolog: glasnik Slovenskega etnografskega muzeja. [Nova vrsta]. [Tiskana izd.]. 2024, letn. 34, str. 285-286. ISSN 0354-0316. [COBISS.SI-ID 225226243]
Scientific monographs
KNEZ, Darko. Vonj po tobaku: pribor za kajenje iz zbirke Narodnega muzeja Slovenije = The scent of tobacco: smoking paraphernalia at the National Museum of Slovenia. Ljubljana: Narodni muzej Slovenije, 2024. 320 str., ilustr. Viri, 17. ISBN 978-961-6981-74-3. [COBISS.SI-ID 201509635]
RAMŠAK, Mojca (author, resume translator). Antropologija vonja. Ljubljana: Alma Mater Europaea – Fakulteta za humanistični študij, Institutum Studiorum Humanitatis, 2024. 372 str., ilustr. ISBN 978-961-6192-90-3. dCOBISS. [COBISS.SI-ID 188845571]
RAMŠAK, Mojca. The anthropology of smell. Cham: Springer Nature, cop. 2024. XVII, 142 str., ilustr. ISBN 978-3-031-61758-4, ISBN 978-3-031-61761-4. [COBISS.SI-ID 204392451]
JENIČ, Barbara Pia. Senzorialni jezik: organska potopitev v dogajanje: [znanstvena monografija = scientific monograph]. Elektronska izd. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut, 2024. 1 spletni vir. Digitalna knjižnica, Dissertationes, 49. ISBN 978-961-270-359-2, ISBN 978-961-270-360-8. ISSN 1855-9638. https://www.pei.si/ISBN/978-961-270-359-2_1/, DOI: 10.32320/978-961-270-359-2. [COBISS.SI-ID 215343619]
Treatise / Preliminary study
DI GIANVINCENZO, Fabiana. Notes on inorganic smells in literature: a systematic review of volatile inorganic compound descriptions in chemical research for the project Smell and intangible cultural heritage: preliminary study. Ljubljana: Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Heritage Science Laboratory, 2024. 9 str. [COBISS.SI-ID 222678275]
Published scientific conference contribution abstract
RAMŠAK, Mojca. Medical and religious concepts of the sense of smell in the Middle Ages. In: Persisting with change: abstract book: 30th EAA Annual Meeting, Rome, Italy, 28th – 31st August 2024. Rome: European Association of Archaeologists, 2024. Str. 507. ISBN 978-80-88441-08-3. https://www.e-a-a.org/EAA2024/Programme.aspx?WebsiteKey=20b5538d-68f8-4056-9596-1ae1ce0ead47&hkey=fe6595a9-39e9-47f1-8159-520091f89dfa&Program=3#:~:text=EAA%202023%20Abstract%20Book%20%2D%20online%20(23%20August). [COBISS.SI-ID 206604035]
STRLIČ, Matija. From smells of objects to collections of smells: [plenary lecture]. V: 2024 IEEE International Conference on Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage : Valletta, Malta, October 7-9, 2024: conference program. Valletta: IEEE Malta Section, 2024. Str. 12. https://metroarcheo.com/files/MetroArchaeo2024_FinalProgram.pdf. [COBISS.SI-ID 212418307]
STRLIČ, Matija. Heritage smells: from characterisation to archiving: [plenary lecture]. V: LAZZARI, Massimo (ur.). TechnoHeritage2024: Sept. 25-27th, Santiago de Compostela: book of abstracts. Vigo: Universidade de Vigo, cop. 2024. Str. 29. ISBN 978-84-1188-028-2. https://technoheritage2024.com/docs/BookofAbstractsTH2024.pdf. [COBISS.SI-ID 210419459]
Conference contributions
RAMŠAK, Mojca. Medical and religious concepts of the sense of smell in the middle ages: Persisting with change: lecture at 30th European Association of Archaeologists Annual Meeting, Rome, 31. 8. 2024. [COBISS.SI-ID 208422403]
RAMŠAK, Mojca. Preserving scented memories and olfactory heritage: lecture at the EUTOPIA Research Days on Cultural Heritage, 28-29 November 2024, Cergy, France. [COBISS.SI-ID 217053187]
RAMŠAK, Mojca. Slovenska olfaktorna kulturna dediščina: predavanje na stručnom skupu Institucionalizacija nematerijalne kulturne baštine i njezin utjecaj na nositelje kulturnih dobara, Kuća halubajskega zvončara, Viškovo, Hrvatska, 22. i 23. studenog 2024. [COBISS.SI-ID 217191939]
RAMŠAK, Mojca. Umetna inteligenca in kulturna dediščina vonjav: predavanje na XVI. posvetu ‘Pravo in ekonomija: izzivi umetne inteligence’, Pravna fakulteta UM, Maribor, 6. december 2024. [COBISS.SI-ID 218032131]
STRLIČ, Matija. Nedenarno vrednotenje zbirk knjižne in arhivske dediščine: prispevek na posvetu ‘Od tržne konkurenčnosti tehnologije k družbeni tehnološki zrelosti’, SAZU, Ljubljana, 15. 11. 2024. [COBISS.SI-ID 216367875]
STRLIČ, Matija. Heritage science – a platform for collaboration between arts and science = Dediščinska znanost – platforma za sodelovanje med umetnostjo in znanostjo: plenary lecture at the 9th international CEEPUS Winter School Design Week 2024, Transdisciplinarity: Design, Science & Technology, 20th to 26th October 2024, Maribor, Slovenia. [COBISS.SI-ID 214028803]
Radio or television broadcasts, podcasts, interviews
TUŠAR, Magda (interviewer), RAMŠAK, Mojca (interviewee). Družbeno-kulturni pomen vonja: antropološka refleksija. Ljubljana: Radiotelevizija Slovenija javni zavod, 2024. 1 spletni vir (1 zvočna datoteka (58 min, 15 sek)). Kulturni fokus. https://365.rtvslo.si/podkast/kulturni-fokus/175078690. [COBISS.SI-ID 211725827]
Public lectures, press conferences and other performed works
JENIČ, Barbara Pia (intervjuvanec), RAMŠAK, Mojca (intervjuvanec), GUBENŠEK, Tomaž (intervjuvanec), PELKO, Stojan (intervjuvanec). Predstavitev znanstvene monografije Senzorialni jezik – organska potopitev v dogajanje : predstavitev na Pedagoškem inštitutu, Ljubljana, 18. december 2024. [COBISS.SI-ID 221470211]
RAMŠAK, Mojca. Antropologija vonja in vohalna dediščina: predavanje v okviru Evropskih dni kulturne dediščine, Slovanska knjižnica, Ljubljana, 22. 10. 2024. [COBISS.SI-ID 212635651]
RAMŠAK, Mojca. Družbene dimenzije in kulturne prakse zaznavanja vonja: predavanje na II. strokovnem srečanju Društva Radi pišemo z roko, 18. januarja 2025, Ljubljana. [COBISS.SI-ID 223143939]