Siobhán McDonald

A Library of lost smells Is a slow distillation of deep time created from plants and mineral rich bog waters, that explores links between smell & memory. The installation holds an assortment of hand blown glass bottles containing scent from eight of the most important notes. Some of the vessels contain scent infused remnants that were buried deep in a bog for over 20 years alluding to the low oxygen levels and unusual smells derived from the preservation conditions. The artwork employs the senses to cultivate an intimate, intuitive experience that aims to transport participants through time as a reminder of the medicinal properties in the pharmacy beneath our feet.

Click this link to see the exhibition: https://vimeo.com/848471564

Driven by tales of plants and alchemy in Irish folklore, Siobhán created a scent library that aims to invite audiences to experiment with different time scales to imagine forms of preservation – over thousands of years of organic matter swallowed up, from tree stumps, bodies and sacred objects to plant life.

“During the lockdown I walked across numerous bogs in acute awareness that the mist hovering over the pools contains molecules, memory and smell of deep time. In creating ‘A Library of lost smells,’ I wanted to create a living sculpture driven by tales of plants and alchemy in Irish folklore. I wanted to create something physical because smell is so difficult to visualise.”

Siobhan McDonald 2023

Inspired by NatPro’s approach to create connections to the ancient, rich and fertile landscapes and unique biodiversity that has accumulated over many millions of years, Siobhán explores how a number of these plants have historic documented use in ancient Medicine for a variety of cures which she sutured together into a delicate shroud. In particular she alludes to the magical properties of the low oxygen levels in bogs that provide unusual preservation conditions. In addition to low oxygen levels, sphagnum moss, of which the peat bog is composed, produces an antibiotic substance called sphagnan that binds with proteins on the surface of microorganisms, immobilising them. Above all the sphagnum moss causes organic material to undergo chemical changes itself that make it impervious to rot.

Boglands are mythical places where the most important changes of contemporary times are taking place. The artist, Joseph Beuys described them as “the liveliest elements in the European landscape, not just [for] flora, birds and animals, but as storing places of life, mystery and chemical change, preservers of ancient history.” A library of lost smells responds directly to this thinking to encourage awareness of the cultural, historical, biological and climatic significance of bogs.

A library of lost smells, is a an artistic response to the fascinating project ‘Unlocking Nature’s Pharmacy from Bogland Species (UNPBS)’ led by Professor Helen Sheridan, Academic Director of NatPro, Trinity Centre for Natural Products Research. An installation entitled ‘A library of lost smells,’ consisting of plant species, gathered from numerous bog sites across Ireland acts as a slow distillation of deep time created from plants and mineral rich bog waters, that explores links between smell & memory. The installation holds an assortment of hand blown glass bottles containing scent from eight of the most important notes. Some of the vessels contain scent infused remnants that were buried deep in a bog for over 20 years alluding to the low oxygen levels and unusual smells derived from the preservation conditions. The artwork employs the senses to cultivate an intimate, intuitive experience that aims to transport participants through time as a reminder of the medicinal properties in the pharmacy beneath our feet.

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Commissioned by The Model with funding from an Arts Council Project Award. Supported by NatPro: Trinity College Dublin and Creative Ireland.

Part of the exhibition is primarily an artistic response to the project ‘Unlocking Nature’s Pharmacy from Bogland Species (UNPBS)’ led by Professor Helen Sheridan, Academic Director of NatPro, Trinity Centre for Natural Products Research.