«Thanks to the wonder that olfactory beauty procures, perfume, today as yesterday, continues to elevate our souls, like a form of spirituality far from dogmas. It is connected with the invisible». Mathilde Laurent, formerly alongside Jean-Paul Guerlian and Maître Parfumeur of the Maison since 2005 Cartier for which he created cult fragrances such as Baisier Voléhas decided to share with the general public the magical power of smell, the only sense disconnected from reason, making them live an immersive experience, short but very intense, which explores the dimension of perfume.
After the success of OSNI (Objets Sentant Non Indentifiés), her first art installation created in 2017 in Paris, later transferred for a period to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the talented Laurent debuted on December 1st at L’Esplanade des Invalides in Paris with her second olfactory work of art , OSNI 2, which will remain open and free until 11 December 2023: a journey in a dark and mysterious environment where only the senses speak. From the first room, where, while one is greeted by the narrating and persuasive voice of the poet Rhael ‘LionHeart’ Cape, a stylized drawing by George Barbier from 1914 stands out, halfway between a giant oleogram and a divine apparition, representing the panther , symbol of the Maison, with an invitation to enter its temple.
«Sometimes the panther is a woman, sometimes an animal, since ancient times it has been a myth that represents power, to be used wisely and consciously, but also agility, dignity and a sort of calm femininity, seduction serene and not dominatrix. Let’s get away from the cliché of the wild, the panther has its own luminous, meditative and also olfactory aura, because since the Middle Ages, due to its good smell, it was able to attract other animals» explains Mathilde Laurent.
Meanwhile, fascinated, always in a dark and sonorous environment, immersed in a synesthesia of emotions, one follows the metaphor of the panther also in the second room of the installation, where on three cascades of rain («Thanks to the collaboration with the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs we managed to have chlorine-free and distilled water, which will then be reused”), the animal’s shadow appears, like a projection on imaginary and liquid curtains, one of which is scented, not by chance, with the same fragrance created by Laurent, La Panthere.
We then approach, with a certain amazement, stroking with the hand the invisible and fragrant waterfall from which the figure of the panther appears and disappears, which then disappears lightly in the form of thousands of luminous particles – a reference to the molecules of perfume – while this The latter remains soft in the air and on the skin. «It is the objective of the installation and of the perfume itself, which has a very rich history and is not known to everyone: it is playful, but it also means contemplation, a return to ourselves, introspection. Something that helps to elevate us, like art. Luxury houses must put these forms of “elevation” into practice and share them with the public» concludes Mathilde Laurent.
An olfactory work of art: Objets Sentant Non Indentifiés opens