For this project, artist Sissel Tolaas firstly acknowledged the inherent human instinct to, unwittingly, produce a particular smell when in a state of fear.

Turning this notion upon its head, however, she resolved to produce a series of fifteen fragrance which collectively suggested an aroma of fearlessness, thereby emboldening those using them.

So, to be faced with one, two, or three… right up to fifteen people, would, in this instance, produce no feeling of fear.

Smells generally incur the most basic of verbal reactions and descriptions from those falling within their range.

Subverting the honest, yet highly-simplistic, vocabulary of the two most obligatory appraisals – ‘I don’t like it!’ or, ‘I like it!’ – Tolaas duly created and named a scent which wittily referenced this inability to profoundly articulate our responses.

With a scent named HSIDEWS, Tolaas sought inspiration from all manner of Sweden’s iconic subject matter and ephemera which, in one sense, is obvious and clichéd, and yet was hitherto overlooked in terms of serious artistic exploration.

For example, the smell of heightened banality emanating from the flat-packed world of Ikea; the aroma of piled-high and cheaply-sold clothing, and the identikit interiors, typifying branches of H&M around the world; the specific odours found within a well-used Volvo car.

What becomes clear, herein, is Tolaas’ unique ability to make us re-appraise – and indeed re-smell – the seemingly-familiar with a new sense of curiosity and invigoration.

The city of Berlin, with all its varied contrasts and paradoxes – fragrant and less-so! – would provide a strong starting point in terms of inspiration, for Tolaas’ NoSoEaWe perfume.

Referencing the logical, geographical sections of Berlin – North, South, East and West – she created a scent with an abbreviated moniker, combining her interpretations of these four areas’ disparate odours.

In doing so, Tolaas proposed a promenade through the smells of the cityscape, encapsulated with a pleasing-confusion together in one bottle.

Norwegian artist Sissel Tolaas is based in Berlin, and regularly unveils her work throughout Europe, America and the Far East. With qualifications in not only the Visual Arts, but also Chemical Science and Mathematics, her own enigmatic art and lecturing work is, inevitably, imbued with an unorthodox sense of intrigue and wit.

Since 1992, Tolaas has been exploring smell within different art forms. Her various collaborative projects have since included Perfume/Smell in space architecture, and projects with Comme des Garçons, Paris.

Tolaas sought out Tzenkoff when she was looking to develop the distinctive identity of the Sissel Tolaas brand. She wished to create a veritable universe for her fragrances, and ultimately to incur the sweet smell of success by selling these products from her own internet site.

We have since worked closely with Tolaas, ensuring she can realise her unique artistic visions to the fullest effect, while garnering significant credible exposure for her projects. With a growing reputation on the international art scene, Tolaas is now also an advisor and/or consultant to: Daimler Chrysler, Future Lab-London; International Flavour and Fragrance-Berlin, Harvard, and she is creating a new project Smell of Violence with ShowStudio.com.