Title: Hisako Inoue : die Bibliothek der Gerüche = the library of smells /
Authors: Inoue, Hisako, 1974-; Shibayama, Takurô,; Shirasu, Mika; Buhrs, Michael; Marr, Anne; Opstelten, Bram; Museum Villa Stuck
Year: 2017
Subjects: Inoue, Hisako, Exhibitions.; Interactive art Exhibitions.; Installations (Art) Exhibitions; Odors in art Exhibitions.; Books and reading in art Exhibitions.; Sound in art Exhibitions; Books and reading in art; Installations (Art); Interactive art; Odors in art; Sound in art
Abstract: The aromas of antiquarian books stand at the center of the exhibition this publication accompanies. Hisako Inoue (b. Yokohama, 1974; lives and works in Yokohama) has gathered selected books from antiquarian bookshops, flea markets, and private homes. It would seem odd that she should make the book the object of a creative engagement focused on its olfactory dimension, setting aside its visual qualities and content: the printed book is a medium cherished for what it contains, and a well-made specimen appeals to the eye first and foremost. Tactile, auditory, and visual impressions enhance the relationship between book and reader. Yet scents trigger our implicit memories much more forcefully and can evoke states of mind of greater intensity than those instilled by seeing and hearing. Like the printing process and the composition of the paper, how a book is handled by its users affects its smell. In this era of digital media and the e-book, a presentation that highlights the longstanding bond between humans and their printed books may seem nostalgic. But as Hisako Inoue argues, antiquarian books with their different scents are emblematic of "lived life."