ODOTHEKA – Exploring and Archiving Heritage Smells

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Objectives of the project

Compared to other senses, the sense of smell has currently only a minor role in the way heritage and history are communicated, even though smell is fundamental to how humans perceive and deal with the environment, both physically and emotionally. Olfactory displays in museums are still rare, also because a system of characterization, reproduction and preservation of smells of historic objects has not been developed yet.

ODOTHEKA project is aimed to develop an international archive of heritage smells. The project’s goals are:

  • To characterize and authentically reproduce odours of selected historical objects from the collections of the National Museum of Krakow, and the National Museum of Slovenia;
  • To examine the historical significant and catalogue odours with the aim to develop the Odotheka archive;
  • To explore how such odours can be displayed effectively and safely and examine the added value of olfactory experience to visitors.

The evocative smell of old books is probably the most researched and well understood heritage smell.

Planned research

ODOTHEKA project will develop a pipeline for archival of heritage smells based on selected case studies, i.e. 5 objects from the Muzeum Narodowe w Krakowie (National Museum in Krakow), and 5 from the collection of the Narodni muzej Slovenije (National Museum in Ljubljana). The approach will involve historical evaluation, chemical analysis and odour reproduction:

  • Historical evaluation will consider the cultural and historical value of the object in question, as well as the significance of olfactory information to the overall interpretation of the object in its historical context. Historical narratives will be developed to inform olfactory object displays, as well as to become an integral part of an archival entry.
  • Using chemical analysis we will characterize the object aroma components and identify those volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that constitute the odour. VOCs will be sampled on a sorbent in the shape of a thin wire (SPME), or in narrow tubes filled with a sorbent material such as Tenax®, followed by chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with olfactory detection.
  • Olfactory characterisation via human noses is essential to describe, examine and recreate an authentic historic odour. Panels of assessors will evaluate the original and reproduced smells. Assessors will rate odour intensity and hedonic tone, based on which the odour and its chemical composition can be documented using the historic odour wheel developed by Bembibre and Strlič (2017).

Two of the planned ODOTHEKA case studies: Da Vinci’s Lady with the Ermine from The Prince Czartoryski Museum, National Museum in Krakow, and the snuff box of the Slovenian national poet France Prešeren (1800-1849) from the collection of the National Museum of Slovenia in Ljubljana (photo: Tomaž Lauko, reproduced with permission). The smells will be analysed, catalogued, reproduced and displayed in multisensory museum experiences.

Partnership

The project (N1-0228) is funded through the CEUS scheme in collaboration between NCN (Narodowe Centrum Nauki) and ARRS (Slovenian Research Agency) and involves:

Please contact us for further information or to establish collaboration.

Scientific achievements:

Paper:

  • PAOLIN Emma, STRLIČ Matija. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in heritage environments and their analysis: a review. Applied Sciences. 2024; 14(11):4620. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14114620 [COBISS.SI-ID 19720269]
  • ELNAGGAR Abdelrazek. Nine principles of green heritage science: life cycle assessment as a tool enabling green transformation. Heritage Science, 2024 12:13  https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-023-01114-z [COBISS.SI-ID 180581123]

  • RAMŠAK, Mojca (avtor, prevajalec, fotograf). Smernice za vrednotenje vohalne pomembnosti artefaktov za muzeje = Guidance on evaluating the olfactory significance of artefacts for museums. Argo : časopis slovenskih muzejev. 2023, 66, [št.] 1, str. 60-73, ilustr. ISSN 0570-8869. [COBISS.SI-ID 169927683]

Conference presentations:

  • STRLIČ Matija (2024). From smells of objects to collections of smells: [plenary lecture]. 2024 IEEE International Conference on Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage: Valletta, Malta, October 7-9, 2024, 12. https://metroarcheo.com/files/MetroArchaeo2024_FinalProgram.pdf [COBISS.SI-ID 212418307]
  • STRLIČ Matija (2024). Heritage smells: from characterisation to archiving: [plenary lecture]. TechnoHeritage2024: Sept. 25-27th, Santiago de Compostela, 29. https://technoheritage2024.com/docs/BookofAbstractsTH2024.pdf [COBISS.SI-ID 210419459]
  • PAOLIN Emma, BEMBIBRE Cecilia, DI GIANVINCENZO Fabiana, TORRES-ELGUERA Julio Cesar, DERAZ Randa, KRAŠEVEC Ida, ABDELLAH Ahmed, AHMED Asmaa, KRALJ CIGIĆ Irena, ELNAGGAR Abdelrazek, ABDELHALIM Ali, SAWOSZCZUK Tomasz, STRLIČ Matija.  A multidisciplinary approach combining sensory and TD-GC-MS-O analysis to characterise the smell of ancient Egyptian mummified bodies: [keynote lecture]. 7th International Congress on Chemistry for Cultural Heritage: ChemCH [Internet]. 2024;97–98. https://chemch2024.educell.sk/wp-Content/uploads/2024/06/Proceedings_ChemCH2024.pdf [COBISS.SI-ID 202237699]
  • BEMBIBRE JACOBO, Cecilia, ALEXOPOULOS, Georgios, PAOLIN, Emma. Revealing and preserving the value of olfactory heritage : a cross-disciplinary approach. V: 36e Congrès du Comité International d’Histoire de l’Art : Matière matérialité = 36th Congress of the Comité International d’Histoire de l’Art : Matter materiality : programme : 23 – 28 juin 2024, Centre de Congrès de Lyon = June 23 – 28, 2024,Lyon Convention Centre. [Lyon: s. n.], 2024. Str. 124. https://www.cihalyon2024.fr/images/programmeCIHA2024-BAT-digital_V2.pdf. [COBISS.SI-ID 215425539]
  • PAOLIN Emma, DI GIANVINCENZO Fabiana, RAMŠAK Mojca, MENART Eva, KNEZ Darko, KOTAR Jernej, TORRES-ELGUERA Cesar Julio, SYGULA Justyna, KRALJ CIGIĆ Irena, SAWOSZCZUK Tomasz, STRLIČ Matija.ODOTHEKA: Exploring and Archiving Heritage Smells. 1st conference of the Slovenian node of the European Research, 22nd november, 2023, https://www.e-rihs.si/uploads/E-RIHS.SI%201st%20Conference%20BoA.pdf [COBISS.SI-ID 174193155]
  • RAMŠAK, Mojca. The anthropology of smell : predavanje v okviru projekta ODOTHEKA – exploring and archiving heritage smells, American University of Cairo, Egypt, 9th – 16th Sept 2023. [COBISS.SI-ID 170003203]
  • RAMŠAK, Mojca. Olfactory heritage in Slovenian museums : predavanje v okviru projekta ODOTHEKA – exploring and archiving heritage smells, The Egyptian Museum Cairo, Egypt, 9th – 16th Sept 2023. [COBISS.SI-ID 170000643]
  • RAMŠAK, Mojca. Olfaktorna kulturna dediščina v Sloveniji. V: Nematerijalna kulturna baština u porječju Mure i Drave : prvi međunarodni znanstveni skup : program i knjižica sažetaka : Međimurje, 9. – 11. studenoga 2023. Čakovac: Centar za istraživanje Međimurja: Ogranak Matice hrvatske; Varaždin: Hrvatska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti – Zavod za znanstveni rad, 2023. Str. 28. https://www.info.hazu.hr/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Program-i-knjizica-sazetaka-Nematerijalna-kulturna-bastina.pdf. [COBISS.SI-ID 173091587]
  • RAMŠAK, Mojca. Smell as a cultural phenomenon : state of the art II : predavanje na delavnici Nose Wise: Modelling Smell as a Cultural Phenomenon, Universiteit Leiden, 10 – 14 July 2023. [COBISS.SI-ID 160933635]
  • RAMŠAK, Mojca. The olfactory significance of museum objects : historical, cultural, conservation and ethical evaluation : predavanje na znanstvenem srečanju The smell of museum objects: Odotheka project, University of Economics, Department of Microbiology, Krakow 17.-18. jan. 2023. [COBISS.SI-ID 140519171]
  • RAMŠAK, Mojca. Antropologija vonja in kemija : predavanje v okviru 8. Tedna Kemijskega inštituta, Kemijski inštitut, Ljubljana, 6. jun. 2023. [COBISS.SI-ID 154656515]
  • RAMŠAK, Mojca. The olfactory narrative of smell objects : predavanje na znanstvenem srečanju The smell of museum objects: Odotheka project, University of Economics, Department of Microbiology, Krakow 17.-18. jan. 2023. [COBISS.SI-ID 140580355]
  • RAMŠAK, Mojca. Olfactory heritage In Slovenian museums : presented at the 11th Annual Conference of Europe’s Sciences and Arts Leaders and Scholars “IT’S ABOUT PEOPLE 2023: Social and Technological Development in Service of Security and Dignity” organised by Alma Mater Europaea ECM, 10 – 17 March 2023. https://conference.almamater.si/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Programme_AMEU_ItsAboutPeople_2023.pdf. [COBISS.SI-ID 145578243]
  • RAMŠAK, Mojca. Individual and cultural differences in olfactory perception : predavanje na znanstvenem srečanju The smell of museum objects: Odotheka project, University of Economics, Department of Microbiology, Krakow 17.-18. jan. 2023. [COBISS.SI-ID 140549379]
  • RAMŠAK, Mojca. Olfactory heritage In Slovenian museums. V: TOPLAK, Jurij (ur.), et al. It’s about people 2023: social and technological development in service of security and dignity : the 11th Annual Conference of Europe’s Sciences and Arts Leaders and Scholars : book of abstracts : Maribor, 10-17 March 2023. 1st revised online ed. Maribor: AMEU – ECM, Alma Mater Press, 2023. Str. 305. ISBN 978-961-7183-17-7. https://press.almamater.si/index.php/amp/catalog/category/CONF. [COBISS.SI-ID 154887171]
  • STRLIČ Matija, PAOLIN Emma, BEMBIBRE JACOBO Cecilia, KRALJ CIGIĆ Irena, MENART Eva, RAMŠAK Mojca. Vonj kot vrednota dediščine. Konservator-restavrator: povzetki strokovnega srečanj, 2022, Slovenia [COBISS.SI-ID 109426947]
  • PAOLIN Emma, DI GIANVINCENZO Fabiana, BEMBIBRE JACOBO Cecilia, KRALJ CIGIĆ Irena, STRLIČ Matija. Olfactory exhibitions in museum environments. Developing a risk assessment methodology.  15th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality in Heritage and Historic Environments, 14.-16. September 2022, Ljubljana, Slovenia (p. 54) https://www.e-rihs.si/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/15th-IAQ22-Ljubljana_ps_Final.pdf [COBISS.SI-ID 123220995]
  • STRLIČ Matija, PAOLIN Emma, BEMBIBRE JACOBO Cecilia, KRALJ CIGIĆ Irena, MENART Eva, RAMŠAK Mojca. Vonj kot vrednota dediščine. Društvo restavratorjev Slovenija, 2022, Slovenia [COBISS.SI-ID 117434883]

  • PAOLIN Emma, STRLIČ Matija. Olfactory exhibitions in museum environments. Are these volatile organic compounds (VOCs) a hazard to the surrounding heritage collection? Postgraduate chemIcal sciences (international conference), 31. May, Ljubljana, Slovenia. [COBISS.SI-ID 126145539]

Socio-economical impact:
 

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