Unlocking Memories (2021)
Media: Cast Scented Wax, Glass Jars, Wood. 
24"x 90" x6"

Our sense of smell is unlike any of our other senses. Research shows that when a smell travels from your nose to your brain it must pass though the hippocampus region of the brain (the region responsible for processing smells) before reaching the area of the brain that is responsible for processing smells, the Olfactory Bulb. Smell is the only one of our 5 senses that must travel through the hippocampus. This is what scientists beliee to be the link connecting smells and memories. 

​

This piece contains approximately 1,000 scented wax keys placed inside jars. 40 jars for 40 different smells. I placed the keys inside jars to contain and preserve their smell. Over time, the keys will tumble, break, and eventually fade into dust making reference to our memories that fade away over time. The viewer is invited to open any jar of their choosing and smell the keys to potentially unlock a memory from their past.