From 17 April to 18 May 2015, the National Museum will put on display 12 unique smells in SINGAPURA:700 years, an exhibition which showcases an olfactory translation of Singapore history. These smells are conceived by Mrs Prachi Garg, founder of Je t’aime Perfumery and an Olfactory-artist.

Besides this display, Prachi will also organise a ‘Perfume Workshop’ where Singaporeans can create their own idea of a ‘Scent of the Nation’ on 2 May 2015.

Experience Singapura’s 700 years through the ‘Singapore Stone’, ‘Chinese masonry’, ‘Life before 14th Century’, ‘Fear during Japanese invasion’ and more, with your nose.

To enable visitors to experience the dormant mood of different eras, the National Museum and Je t’aime Perfumery, Museum volunteers and curators have worked together to create a scent to symbolise each of them. If you have ever wondered about what it must feel like to live in a particular era in Singapore, you can now experience it at the National Museum.

These signature scents will be displayed at different locations in all the galleries at the Museum, to add sensorial dimension. They range from a musky Ancient Singapore to a spicy Colonial Singapore. Visitors can also take a whiff of Independent Singapore, a refreshing fruity scent that captures the energy of a nation gearing to surge forward and grow. There is also Fear, an unpleasant smell to represent uncertain times, which can evoke negative emotions.

Recalling the creation process, Prachi also lets on that the Singapore Stone was the most difficult to create, as the stone could only be seen along our coasts during low-tide. Mrs Garg recalls:

“So the question was: do we make the stone smell wet or dry? Eventually we all agreed to make it semi-wet. These are two completely different smells and therefore, challenging to mix. Other interesting smells to look out for are ‘Hotel de l’ Europe’ and ‘Independent Singapore’. These are both conceptual smells and often lead people into a discussion. Strong discussion where likes and dislikes are fairly strong!”

Venue: National Museum of Singapore

Workshop: 2 May 2015. Tickets for this event will be on sale on SISTIC from 10 April.
Each participant will get the chance to learn the techniques of perfume making and how to mix different ingredients to create your unique Scent of the Nation. Before the workshop, participants will have a chance to join the museum-volunteers on a guided tour to smell your way through Singapore’s history and experience her transformation from a humble fishing village to the pride of an empire, before becoming an independent nation-state as she is today.
Each participant gets to keep a 75ml bottle of perfume they create.

When: 17 Apr - 18 May 2015,

By: National Museum of Singapore