Midjourney | Stable Diffusion | Adobe After Effect | Illustrator
Interaction Design | Scent Installation | Human-AI Cooperation | Artificial Intelligence Generated Art | Experience Design
18/02/2023 - 22/04/2023
Individual project
VI-SCENT.Lab: Memory Archiving System
Human-AI collaboration in Olfactory Visualization
VI-SCENT.Lab_Memory Archiving System expands on my previous scent installation, where I collaborated with AI to visually transform the scent memories of exhibition visitors. To achieve this, I collected scent memories from the 24 scent samples provided by previous visitors, collated different memories of each scent, and extracted key words from their narratives. These keywords were then converted into AI prompts, combined with my artistic style and output format, to create virtual memory chips presented to new audiences in petri dishes.
My goal was to explore whether the AI's level of representation of human senses and emotions could resonate with people, while completing the visual transformation of olfactory memories. Visitors to the exhibition can experience each scent sample and read scent memories from a year ago. The virtual memory chips, representing each scent memory, are viewed against the corresponding archive bag number and stored permanently for future use in scent-driven virtual environments.
Art direction - Yuqing Liu
Interaction Design - Yuqing Liu
Video editing - Yuqing Liu
Photography- Meng Li
Background
This project builds on my previous work, where I collected a scent memory archive from exhibition visitors. Using the memory narratives left by these visitors on the 24 scent samples I provided, I have collated different memories of each scent and extracted key words from their written narratives. This has allowed me to delve deeper into the power of scent as a memory trigger and explore new ways of visualizing these olfactory memories using cutting-edge AI technology.
Then I converted the extracted keywords into a set of prompts that the AI could recognize, and combined this with my carefully curated artistic style and output format. Together, they allowed me to generate virtual memory chips for each audience member. These stunning visual representations of olfactory memories were then presented to the new audience in the form of petri dishes, creating a truly unique and unforgettable multisensory experience.
Through my research, I have been exploring the fascinating mechanisms of scent and how it can be used in interaction design to evoke memories in new and exciting ways. By visualizing olfactory memories through the AI's level of representation of human senses, I am able to create stunning virtual representations that truly capture the essence of each scent. Additionally, I am exploring how the AI's representation of human senses and emotions can be made to resonate with people, creating an even deeper emotional connection to these memories. These visualized scent memory archives will be stored permanently and will play a crucial role in my future construction of scent-driven virtual environments, allowing audiences to explore scent memories in a whole new way.
As a scent artist, nothing brings me more joy than seeing my work resonate with audiences and sparking new connections and friendships. The love and support that my work has received at the exhibition has been truly inspiring, and I am grateful for every conversation and interaction that has resulted from it. I am excited to continue developing this project in the future, exploring new ways to capture and visualize scent memories and to further push the boundaries of what is possible in the world of scent and art. I look forward to the next phase of output, and to sharing my passion for scent and memory with even more people in the future.