Mareike Bode

Sound artist KMRU and contemporary artist Nick Verstand premiered their audiovisual collaboration 'As Nature' at @rewirefestival . These soundscapes of @_kamaru_ are responded to by @nickverstand through a wafting spectacle of all-encompassing lightweight fabrics that are manipulated through airflow, LEDs, and smoke. An Olfactory component, developed in collaboration with scent artist @mareikebo.de , further extends the sensory field, expanding the work beyond the visual and auditory. A pleasant yet unusual olfactory layer introduces a subtle tension between nature and electricity into the space. 'As Nature' comes to life as a visceral and provoking glimpse into liminality offering a rare opportunity to encounter sound, vision and scent as a single, evolving environment shaped by natural processes and perception.⁠ ⁠ ‘As Nature' is commissioned by Rewire, Barbican, and Lunchmeat Festival.⁠ ⁠ More ‘As Nature’ dates:⁠ Barbican, Milton Court Concert Hall - 27 April⁠ Lunchmeat Festival, Prague - 25 September⁠ Biennale Musica, Venice - 22 October⁠ ⁠ Photo by @sabine.vnistelrooij and @alexheuvink

Sensing Divercities - Research and Live-Distillation Through scent walks and interviews with residents, workers, and passersby on Berlin’s two prominent, ethnically diverse streets - Müllerstraße and Sonnenallee - my project aimed to explore how these areas are experienced through smell. Respondents were asked about the dominant smells specifically related to these locations in present times (e.g., delicious food, rancid oil, annoying car pollution, dust, dirt, and urine) and which scents from their personal past were missed and could not be experienced in those streets (many longed for the smells of nature—grass, leaves, flowers, and even the scent of a river or the ocean). Using a traditional copper alembic still—a centuries-old tool originating in Egyptian and Arabic alchemy—visitors were invited to collaboratively create a unique scent blend. They did so by selecting from an assortment of materials, related to the aforementioned streets and carefully chosen beforehand, which are then processed through distillation. Alembic distillation works by heating material with water, causing steam to carry volatile compounds through a condenser, where they cool and separate into essential oil and hydrolate — the aromatic water containing water-soluble plant compounds. During the exhibition each ingredient released different aromas at different times as processed elements require individual evaporation temperatures, so the resulting hydrolates were in a state of constant, subtle transformation, reflecting both the olfactory individuality and shared commonalities. This distillation and the work of chef Ayami Awazura @wolke_be and sound artist KMRU @_kamaru_ were presented at the Divercities exhibition in November 2024, where visitors were invited to engage, wonder, and rethink urban life through a unique sensory lens, as part of the research project “Sensing ‘race’, whiteness and the nation: sonic and olfactory experiments through text and spaces of Berlin”, organized by Claudia Mock, Christine Barwick-Gross (Humboldt-University Berlin) and Christy Kulz (Technical University Berlin). Photography by Katarzyna Mazur @k.mazurrr . Funded by the Volkswagen foundation.

Sensing Divercities - Research and Live-Distillation Cities are places that provide - and confront - their inhabitants with endless sensory stimuli. Given cities' dense character and the increasing diversity of the urban population, particularly in post-migrant societies, sensory experiences strongly affect how people make sense of the city, how they relate to others and how they draw or cross boundaries in relation to their fellow city dwellers. To date, studies on urban diversity and urban inequality predominantly rely on the visual - they mostly 'see' the city, but they do not smell, taste, touch or listen to it. Scholars from a variety of disciplines have repeatedly addressed this neglect of the senses, particularly since the sensory turn dating from the 1980's. This critique is the basis of our transdisciplinary intervention. Our project explored how urban diversity is experienced through sound, smell, and taste, bridging a gap often overlooked in traditional studies. Collaborating with chef Ayami Awazura @wolke_be , sound artist KMRU @_kamaru_ , and myself as a scent artist, we transformed a 6-months long collaboration and research into immersive sensory creations inspired by Berlin's Müllerstraße and Sonnenallee. These works were presented at the Divercities exhibition in November 2024, where visitors were invited to engage, wonder, and rethink urban life through a unique sensory lens, as part of the research project “Sensing ‘race’, whiteness and the nation: sonic and olfactory experiments through text and spaces of Berlin”, organized by Christine Barwick-Gross (Humboldt-University Berlin), Christy Kulz (Technical University Berlin) and Claudia Mock. Photography by Katarzyna Mazur @k.mazurrr . Funded by the Volkswagen foundation.

We expand your senses. As a special part of the UNSEEN exhibition @mareikebo.de has created a scent blend of natural essential oils. “Alungrun” is a specially created olfactory addition to the marathon photo exhibition, based on a mix of associations of the @berlinmarathon behind-the-scenes, underneath and around the runners’ running shoes, the air outside and inside the runners’ and photographers’ lungs. A marathon as a collective happening has a long tradition in human history with its origins in Ancient Greece. Many different nationalities join the Berlin run and everyone is breathing the same air at this event through the whole city of Berlin - on asphalt and earthy pathways, surrounded by trees and leaves of parks like Tiergarten, between sweaty bodies and hopeful minds. Wishing to give these UNSEEN moments, runners and photographers an olfactory support, woody and resin ingredients have a calming effect while giving a good base to secure a successful run. The blend also includes citrusy elements that energize and lift up the motivating force. It serves as a reminder of how beautiful yet fleeting a marathon can be - something we work so hard and long for, and of what we can draw so much from. #ai #midjourney #berlinmarathon

Come join us soon and inhale some „other ai scent“ that I’ve freshly created and that you can see visualized in this image. Can you smell it already? Thanks for the invitation @marcbredemeier.de 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💚💙💚 💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚 💙💚💙 ________ Sculplobe e.V. and the independent curator Marc Bredemeier (DE) cordially invite you to the opening of the exhibition project other AI in Lobe Space on Tuesday, 11 July 2023 from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. The transdisciplinary exhibition project on the subject of artificial intelligence (AI) includes art, music, discussions, workshops & texts, Discord (digital/interactive communication platform), and a website. It is the result of a process-oriented and collaborative way of working that started in April. Participants address aspects of nature, culture and humanity in their works. In addition, there is a book table from about_bookshop with selected titles on the topic of AI. EXHIBITION Tuesday, July 11, 2023, 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM Opening with extended hours, music by Sigourney Pilz (DE), Thomas Fornoff (DE) and refreshments in the garden from the Lobe Canteen Wednesday–Sunday, 12–16 July 2023, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM Artworks by Aleksandr Delev (MK), Alisa Tsybina (DE), Aex Valijani (SE), Dongchan Kim (KR), Jacob Broms Engblom (SE), Jakob Sitter Midttun (NO), Leo Elia Jung (DE), Mareike Bode (DE), Serena Coelho (BR) PROGRAM Thursday/Friday, 13./14. July 2023, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM Discussions by Aleksandr Delev (MK), Hannah-Katharina Chabbani (GB), Irma Mastenbroek (NL), Nelson Ijakaa Imo (KE), Serena Coelho (BR), Till Bödeker (DE) Saturday, 15 July 2023, 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM DJ set by Nikolas Brummer (DE) Sunday, 16 July2023 at 6:00 PM Closing event with a workshop by Ella Shields (IE)

Come join us soon and inhale some „other ai scent“ that I’ve freshly created. Thanks to @marcbredemeier.de 💙💚💙💚 💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚 💙💚💙💚 💙💚💙💚 💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚 💙💚 ________ Sculplobe e.V. and the independent curator Marc Bredemeier (DE) cordially invite you to the opening of the exhibition project other AI in Lobe Space on Tuesday, 11 July 2023 from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. The transdisciplinary exhibition project on the subject of artificial intelligence (AI) includes art, music, discussions, workshops & texts, Discord (digital/interactive communication platform), and a website. It is the result of a process-oriented and collaborative way of working that started in April. Participants address aspects of nature, culture and humanity in their works. In addition, there is a book table from about_bookshop with selected titles on the topic of AI. EXHIBITION Tuesday, July 11, 2023, 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM Opening with extended hours, music by Sigourney Pilz (DE), Thomas Fornoff (DE) and refreshments in the garden from the Lobe Canteen Wednesday–Sunday, 12–16 July 2023, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM Artworks by Aleksandr Delev (MK), Alisa Tsybina (DE), Aex Valijani (SE), Dongchan Kim (KR), Jacob Broms Engblom (SE), Jakob Sitter Midttun (NO), Leo Elia Jung (DE), Mareike Bode (DE), Serena Coelho (BR) PROGRAM Thursday/Friday, 13./14. July 2023, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM Discussions by Aleksandr Delev (MK), Hannah-Katharina Chabbani (GB), Irma Mastenbroek (NL), Nelson Ijakaa Imo (KE), Serena Coelho (BR), Till Bödeker (DE) Saturday, 15 July 2023, 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM DJ set by Nikolas Brummer (DE) Sunday, 16 July2023 at 6:00 PM Closing event with a workshop by Ella Shields (IE)

Six scent blends created for the HEB immersive dinner event in Dallas, Texas, USA, October 2022.

In 2022 Anna Thomas and I were asked to contribute to the opening ceremony event of XJAZZ festival with an olfactory artwork. We’ve exposed a dark and woody fragrance with a soft neon touch during the whole evening to create a mesmerizing experience paired with amazing music and beautiful people. Thanks @dhvnesh_ and @xjazzberlin for this special immersive moment. Thanks to this opportunity Anna and I have started our first official scent project together as @bothscents - and there’s more to come in the future.

In 2022 Anna Thomas and I were asked to contribute to the opening ceremony event of XJAZZ festival with an olfactory artwork. We’ve exposed a dark and woody fragrance with a soft neon touch during the whole evening to create a mesmerizing experience paired with amazing music and beautiful people. Thanks @dhvnesh_ and @xjazzberlin for this special immersive moment. Thanks to this opportunity Anna and I have started our first official scent project together as @bothscents - and there’s more to come in the future.

A green leathery burnt aroma blend. @12wyk_ceramic_art_gallery from Antwerp invited me last year to work out a scent for the group exhibition INFERNO. Showcased at the design fair Collectible in Brussels (BE) and in Cisternino (IT). Dankjewel & grazie mille @jeanette_van_rossum_ and @jan.van.rossum for this lovely opportunity and our friendship<3

Stay focused *itches.