Ether
An immersive sensory environment that explores the possibilities of sensory perception in outer space—
Drawing inspiration from speculative habitat design, scientific studies, and science fiction, Ether explores questions such as: What does Martian water taste like? What does the layered atmosphere of Venus smell like? How might a non-terrestrial entity register the elements of the Voyager Golden Record? Using sensory ethnography as a guiding method, this project encouraged participants to reflect on their unique sensory experiences and imagine a more than human subjectivity.
This research was inspired by immersive multi-modal exhibitions such as Displace (created by David Howes and Chris Salter), a performative sensory environment designed to engage and combine the senses. Drawing on these research creation methods, Ether included video, soundscapes, aromas, and tastes to create a perceptible sensory atmosphere that visitors found both compelling and confounding. The concluding small group discussions offered participants the opportunity to share their unique experiences in the immersive environment and reflect on how their sensory perception may have been subverted, altered, or ‘reconfigured’ (Howes & Salter 2016).
The exhibition took place at ExperiSens in the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ) in Montréal, Québec from December 3rd – 8th 2021.
Genevieve Collins is an MA student in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Concordia University. Her research interests include sensory studies, futures anthropology, and astronautical space futures. Her MA thesis project is directed by Professor David Howes and funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT), ExperiSens, le centre collégial de transfert de technologie (CCTT) de l’Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ).
Image Credit: Photographs by Melina Campos; “Ether” image by Hailey Graham
This project was created in collaboration with olfactory artist Aroma Jockey Jarome and sound artist Joel Mierau
