Artwork / Chemical Ecosystem

• Abstract: Olfactory communication is a constant among living beings, however it is more evident in plants and animals. Between human beings, the exchange of audiovisual information is growing exponentially, even activities where chemistry is (or was) essential, such as flirting or seducing, are being replaced by virtual dating applications. In the recent digitization of our activities, is there room for other types of stimuli and communication that are not exclusively audiovisual?
  
  Chemical Ecosystem reflects on the function of smell today, drawing inspiration from inter-species olfactory communication. It invites the public to observe how its presence influences the environment and affects the beings that inhabit it, listening to the olfactory messages that these inhabitants emit.
  
  Ten synthetic organisms hang from a circular cover. They have fans that diffuse odors, small speakers emitting sounds, and gas sensors capturing the composition of the surrounding air. The sounds vary dynamically according to the data of the composition of the air, affected by the human presence.

• Biography: Formed at the ArtScience department of the KABK (NL) where she developed her passion for merging science and art through perception, Yolanda Uriz creates multi-sensory experiences. With a particular interest in the proximity senses (smell, taste and touch), she concentrates her research on the synesthetic connections between sound and smell. She uses digital tools like Pure Data to generate sound or Arduino to interact with the analog world, combined with DIY perfumery or messing around in the Fab-Lab. Her work has been presented at festivals like Sonic Acts (NL), WRO Media-Art Biennale (PL), STRP (NL), SPARK (USA), Todays Art (NL/RU), Transmediale (GR), November Music (NL), In-Sonora (ES), etc. 

This project has been awarded with the ISEA2022 Barcelona Grant by Fundación Ernesto Ventós / International Nasevo Prize