When a fragrance reaches the nose, it triggers surprising emotional reactions, creating pleasant and uncontrollable. These are often drawn from memories and recollections dormant in the unconscious. Indescribable and elusive, a fragrance paints invisible images inside our minds, which are imprinted in our thoughts and remain unchanged over time, like a work of art.
A symphony of olfactory notes can recall and narrate art without the need for words. A fragrance comes to life and is capable of capturing the essence of a multisensory experience, conveying it to the unconscious and also enriching it with new dimensions.
This is precisely what happened at MAP, the Music Art Perfume project, conceived by the historic Società del Quartetto in Milan in collaboration with our Scent Company olfactory branding experts and the timelessly elegant Milanese residence, Palazzo Crespi. A new concept of performance in which fragrance, music and art meet, merging for the first time in a potpourri of sophisticated sensations.
Music, Art, Perfume: an emotional journey outside of time
MAP is an event that goes beyond the usual patterns, conceived to expertly mix the best music, the most evocative notes and the most spectacular triumphs of artistic talent in an unrepeatable multisensory experience. MAP’s location is Palazzo Crespi, the refined historic building in Corso Venezia, right in the heart of Milan. It is a timeless setting dating back to the seventeenth century and, renovated in the late 1920s by Piero Portaluppi, now houses a prestigious art collection that manages to enchant every visitor.
It is a magical place, the perfect site to welcome the series of Music, Art and Perfume events organized by the historic Società del Quartetto of Milan. The society was founded in 1863 with the mission of spreading culture. A love for music and music is at the heart of MAP events that construct an entirely new sensory journey.
They caress the tastebuds of guests with a delicious welcome cocktail, treat the eye to a guided tour of the Crespi collection, and please the ear with a concert in the ballroom of the historic Milanese residence and go further in sensory experimentation, adding an innovative piece to this classic triptych of experiences.
The revolutionary force of the MAP event is to exploit all the power of perfume – an intimate and extraordinarily potent art form.
The fresh and evocative notes of the exclusive fragrance created by Scent Company for the occasion, accompany each stage of the journey inside the Palazzo. It is inspired by the setting of the elegant Milanese residence and its irresistible timeless beauty. Our Scent noses have composed a bouquet of red berries, vetyver and vanilla, the perfect union of the precious artistic works of the Palazzo and the alchemy of sounds proposed by the musical protagonists of the event.
The first company in Italy to create perfume for art, Scent Company not only created a blend of essences exclusively for MAP but also took care of diffusing it in the ambience harmoniously and consistently, using the most modern high-tech diffusers. For the first time, beauty can not only be heard and admired but also breathed in.
A multisensory journey at MAP
One of our senses can be enough to take us on an overwhelming emotional journey. Imagine what can happen when several senses are teased simultaneously in an enveloping labyrinth of perceptions?
The MAP personalized fragrance accompanies the moment of welcome, enriching the pleasures of the palate offered to guests by the light aperitif. The soft and vibrant notes of the Scent fragrance then follow the visit through the beautiful rooms of the Palace, enhancing the exploration of the treasures that the house has kept for centuries.
Finally, the most pleasant olfactory notes diffused in the rooms of Palazzo Crespi join the musical notes vibrating through the air for a truly original riot of perceptions. With the antique charm of candles and mirrors recreating the atmosphere of a private period event, the ballroom of the residence hosts the sound masterpieces of the famous talents who perform. These include the Vansìsiem Lied Duo, the soprano Paola Camponovo accompanied by harp by Jelena Engelhardt, harpist Céline Pasche, and the “Il Furibondo” String Trio supported by the violinist Roberta Bua.
Perfuming art to make it eternal
Art is, by its nature, something immortal and infinite. The beauty of a painting or a musical composition remains unchanged over the centuries, together with the history that characterizes them and the personality of the artist who created them, evoking new stories every time in those lucky enough to experience them.
Participating in an event combining art and music undoubtedly leaves amazing memories of exquisite artworks and performances by the most skilled voices of talented musicians. But our brain functions in decidedly mysterious ways, and our rational memories, however extraordinary, can fade over time.
The sense of smell is the only one of the five senses to follow irrational and fascinating paths in our minds. It is perceived and processed directly by the limbic system, the same brain area responsible for managing emotional reactions and storing long-term memories. It follows unconscious and profound paths and becomes an incredibly effective tool to make any event, in the truest sense of the word, “unforgettable”.
Scenting an event links the experience not only to rational memories but also to unconscious emotional dimensions making it impossible to forget. The event becomes imprinted in the most intimate parts of the subconscious. Seeing an art show through sight or hearing can undoubtedly be extraordinary and exciting. However, it becomes truly memorable, surprising and embedded permanently in the mind with a fragrance made to measure, emphasizing its value and uniqueness.
When the best music, artistic mastery and the most evocative olfactory pyramids come together, as at the MAP evenings, a genuinely exclusive and unrepeatable immersive experience is born – the result of the most promising synergy of perceptions.
Would you like to experiment with a new way of experiencing art through the senses? Our Scent Experts can provide the keys to making your visitors’ experience genuinely timeless using the most advanced secrets of olfactory branding. Contact us for a consultation!
