Aaro MURPHY

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Aaro MURPHY

Participating Project	Exchange Residency Program (Creators from abroad)
Activity Based	Amsterdam and Helsinki
City / Place stayed	Tokyo
Period	2024.9 - 2024.11

Purpose of the residency

During the residency I plan to develop a new video and sound work that centres around smell and aroma technologies. I will research both the tradition of Japanese Kōdō as well as contemporary aroma technologies in Japan. Through interviews, filming and writing I will develop work that discusses both aromas from a ritualistic as well as climate related perspective. The project is a continuation of my previous collaboration with Takasago Fragrances and Tsukuba Botanical Garden that started in 2022. During my residency I will continue this research by capturing rare plant aromas with headspace aroma technology.

Plan during the residency

• Researching Japanese Kōdō Incense; organising interviews with Kōdō Komoto
• Writing about smell and exploring the poetry of aromatic descriptions
• Furthering previous collaboration with Takasago Fragrances and Tsukuba Botanical Garden, recreating smell of rare orchid flower
• Filming new video footage in greenhouses, Tokyo cityscapes & industrial skylines
• Recording, editing and finalising video work as a result of the residency
• Open studio / exhibition. As well as exhibition back in Helsinki December 2024
  

Activities during the residency

During my time at TOKAS, I developed new work and research around the subject of smell and memory. My plan was to link various realms of aroma and memory; from Japanese traditions of Kōdō to contemporary aroma technologies of headspace and electronic noses. For me, the interest in aroma is its potential to activate memories and past landscapes. From this research, my aim was to develop a video and olfactory work. A few of the activities included:
•Researching the history of Kōdō and Ranjatai wood
•Filming scenes for a new video work that explores aroma and memory
•Developing writing around aromatic memories and landscapes
•Working with Japanese translator and voice actor to narrate text for new film
•Finalising a scent I started developing with Takasago International with their headspace technology in 2023
At large, the residency provided me with the facilities and support to develop this new work further.

Outcome of the residency

The residency was an incredibly inspiring and fruitful experience in understanding Japanese aroma traditions as well as making new work. There were several achievements that have concretely affected my practice:
•The word ‘listening’ to aroma, instead of ‘smelling’ aroma that is intrinsic to Kōdō provided a really inspiring starting point for my research. In fact, I heard many times that the verb ‘to smell’ is actually ‘to listen’ in Japanese language. With this in mind, I started to think a lot about the idea of hearing aroma as somewhat personal breakthrough in the way in which I deal with ‘smell’ in my own work. Words can sometimes evoke a strong, if not even stronger association to smell than the smell itself. This is something that I will look to explore further in my own work.
•I also consider it an achievement that I managed to visit and film at most of the locations I had planned before coming to Japan. However, what I learned was to have confidence in the planning and letting spontaneity come into the process of filming.
•I also learned various new practical filming skills during my travels, from managing the camera, flow of filming and logistics.
•I gained new confidence in my research and writing through the residency. I also discovered new ways in merging scientific and historical research with my own texts.
•After meeting with the curator who participated in the Studio Visit, I also discovered some new aspects of my work and writing I had not realised before. Namely, that perhaps less is more. And when thinking of film and aroma, a lot can be shown with just text and voice.
•For the first time, I also learned to start with an idea, and let the process shape that idea into something new and unexpected. Normally, I stay too attached to my starting point and don't let intuition shape the work. Learning this has been a great personal achievement.
The residency has provided me with not only knowledge about Japanese aroma traditions and History but also new ways of piecing my own work together. I will be able to take many of the techniques and ways of thinking further into my working method. I will also have a solo exhibition of the film developed at TOKAS at ForumBox in Helsinki, March 2026. 

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Supported by: 
Finnish Cultural Foundation
Arts Promotion Centre Finland
Olga and Vilho Linnamo Foundation

Creator Information