Sonja Bent | Olfactory Artist

SONJA BENT Olfactory artist

I work with scent, place and memory.

THE PRACTICE

The Invisible Part of a Landscape

Scent is an invisible dimension of place. It holds memories, evokes emotions and shapes how we experience the world around us. Through olfactory art, botanical research and site-specific commissions, I explore how the essence of a place can be experienced, interpreted and preserved through scent.

Rjóður - Laugarás lagoon

A site-specific olfactory identity born from a forest clearing in the Icelandic landscape.

Explore the project

Hvammsvík Sea baths

A signature scent inspired by the meeting of ocean, mountains and Icelandic coastal flora.

explore the project

FOREST SHOWER

Olfactory installation, 2019–

Shinrin-yoku means forest bathing.

But there is no bath.

I found that slightly funny.

So I made a shower.

ILMBANKI ÍSLENSKRA JURTA

An ongoing olfactory archive of Icelandic flora

2017–

More than 300 scents gathered, extracted, distilled and preserved from the Icelandic landscape.

What began as an attempt to collect the scents of individual plants gradually became a way of taking a landscape apart through smell.

The invisible part of a landscape.

collaborations & commissions

I collaborate with architects, hospitality spaces, cultural institutions and creative teams to develop site-specific olfactory experiences.

Each commission begins with a place, a story or an atmosphere worth exploring.

For collaborations and enquiries, I would love to hear from you.

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