ARTICLES
SMELL OF MEMORY
Have you ever noticed that random smells on the street make you turn around and go back to any situation of your past? The smell of vanilla makes numerous Western people go back to the time of their childhood, while Asian people start to feel calm when a rose scent is hovering in the room. Actually, it’s not coming from special genes, but is related to them.
For example, the same odor can provoke different reactions in different people. This phenomenon shows us how neurons and nose receptors are working together differently in the sense of another person. However, one smell could work differently even with one person.
Why is this happening? In terms of biology, we have receptors in the upper part of the nose. They react to an odor and give an impulse to a specific pattern in our brain. As these receptors can respond differently to smells, we could describe it in a wider way. This is connected with the emotional vision of situations and specific genes that make you react or not to certain molecules. That part of the brain which manages all the odors is also placed near our memory section, so we react to them like a pattern of the person’s behaviour.
Since ancient times our ancestors used this skill to easily navigate and recognise harmless, edible objects. Their memory of pleasant things or bad experiences stayed in their minds from very childhood times until the end. Modern people haven’t lost this ability, so we use it every day widely. This ancient sense of danger or safeness follows us everywhere at any time.
Current art and fashion ideas put this fact as their muse and made a masterpiece for our nose. Artists started to make whole stories and landscapes from aromas.
Installations like «The Odoratorium» by Sissel Tolaas give us an example of how a spot like a city provokes us to different emotions related to a familiar, or not, place only by using its smell. Emotions can be complicated or even confusing.
At the installation «The Smell of War» a number of videos were shown, considering an absolutely peaceful world. While looking at the screen, the audience felt a disgusting and uncomfortable smell of war. That made the picture of how cruel war is even more vibrant in the viewer’s minds. Each of the odors made them see the real picture with their nose, not their eyes.
The «Parfum River» for the YSL museum by Asymptote Architecture gave a fully shrouding scene for every odor there. In contrast with the previous example, this time visitors admired fashion design in a dark room accompanied by pleasant images and light, noticeable perfume. This made people go far more in their minds, where any of the scents reminded them of special occasions.
There are a lot of aspects of our smelling systems that make us feel something ,unique, make us go back to times where we experienced the hardest emotions.
For example, the same odor can provoke different reactions in different people. This phenomenon shows us how neurons and nose receptors are working together differently in the sense of another person. However, one smell could work differently even with one person.
Why is this happening? In terms of biology, we have receptors in the upper part of the nose. They react to an odor and give an impulse to a specific pattern in our brain. As these receptors can respond differently to smells, we could describe it in a wider way. This is connected with the emotional vision of situations and specific genes that make you react or not to certain molecules. That part of the brain which manages all the odors is also placed near our memory section, so we react to them like a pattern of the person’s behaviour.
Since ancient times our ancestors used this skill to easily navigate and recognise harmless, edible objects. Their memory of pleasant things or bad experiences stayed in their minds from very childhood times until the end. Modern people haven’t lost this ability, so we use it every day widely. This ancient sense of danger or safeness follows us everywhere at any time.
Current art and fashion ideas put this fact as their muse and made a masterpiece for our nose. Artists started to make whole stories and landscapes from aromas.
Installations like «The Odoratorium» by Sissel Tolaas give us an example of how a spot like a city provokes us to different emotions related to a familiar, or not, place only by using its smell. Emotions can be complicated or even confusing.
At the installation «The Smell of War» a number of videos were shown, considering an absolutely peaceful world. While looking at the screen, the audience felt a disgusting and uncomfortable smell of war. That made the picture of how cruel war is even more vibrant in the viewer’s minds. Each of the odors made them see the real picture with their nose, not their eyes.
The «Parfum River» for the YSL museum by Asymptote Architecture gave a fully shrouding scene for every odor there. In contrast with the previous example, this time visitors admired fashion design in a dark room accompanied by pleasant images and light, noticeable perfume. This made people go far more in their minds, where any of the scents reminded them of special occasions.
There are a lot of aspects of our smelling systems that make us feel something ,unique, make us go back to times where we experienced the hardest emotions.
Throughout all of history before industrialization, people used
to think that almost everything produced by nature would also work for new technologies for humanity. During active industrial development, we forgot how close people are to nature. However, recent technological progress and art performances show us a rebirth of natural-inspired ideas in everyday life.
The concept of adapting whole systems from nature and using them for «new» human things is quite ancient.
From early ages, our ancestors were inspired by spider webs to create webs for fishing or by birds' wings, which were modified into whole flying machines. Even boats' forms were copied from fish body structures. Numerous spiritual symbols and philosophical ideas were just borrowed from nature's manifestations.
Why does this happen?
It is not a secret that all living creatures on earth from the very beginning were not such as they are now. Billions of years of evolution, adaptation, and development in their bodies led to a perfect form of life. Nature makes no mistakes. Any non-adapted organisms simply did not survive. When this thought occurred in the human mind, it started to come into the real life of humanity. Maybe it is the certain reason for people's progress.
Any of living beings can be an inspiration for a new technology or a new scientific discovery.
However, artists'minds have also handled their reviews of nature's processes.
Unfortunately, with the start of the world's industrial development, people forgot that the best and most reliable technology is covered outdoors.
In the new century of technologies, there are a lot of art performances and engineering ideas where
nature-inspired details are common. Nowadays, we do not even notice that daily life is filled with creative forms
of natural expressions. There are three types of nature borrowing cases: copying form, processes, and whole ecosystems. For example, fasteners for clothes are inspired by a plant with similar hooks. Swimsuits also use technology from living beings — shark scales. Self-cleansing texture from the lotus leaf. Entire drone control systems are inspired by predator and prey behavior and birds flying.Engineering ideas and methods
that are used in design are truly astounding.
Artistic modification of natural processes, together with deep scientific knowledge, illustrates true masterpieces
for us. There are some authors who gave the world their vision of a kind of nature, although it is not always of real beings.
Art modification of nature processes together with deep scientific knowledge, which illustrate us true masterpieces. There are some authors, who gave the world their vision of kind of nature, although it is not always real beings.
Due to the unique forms of natural objects, architecture often borrows an idea and implements it in a whole new building. Various examples demonstrate how fascinating an edifice can be when inspired by mother nature.
"The Lotus Temple", located in New Delhi, was designed by Hariboros Saxo. Its form and even texture are quite similar to a natural lotus. The meaning of this gorgeous flower is spiritual awakening and the will to overcome difficult situations in life. Accordingly, the temple was made for prayer, to be closer to God, no matter what happens.
"Gardens by the Bay" in Singapore represent technology meeting trees and plants. The exciting design of tree-like structures functions as solar panels, which absorb solar energy during the day and release it at night. This allows them to draw water from outside and help plants grow, while also illuminating the area with beautiful lights that look unreal in the dark.
Natural features are used not only in complicated structures and ideas, but also in the art and design industries.
Tree-like bags by Lisiki are a perfect example of how trees and moss can be used in textile production. Such beautiful plant structures can often be observed in the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and America.
The perfume collection "Aqua Allegoria" by Guerlain features a cap designed like a honeycomb with golden accents. This entire collection of fragrances uses natural notes to convey how vibrant and fresh nature smells.
For example "Orange Soleia" evokes a light, spicy summer. Through perfumes, textures, and forms,
people can interpret feelings and the essence of natural objects.
We see thousands buildings every day, what’s about them? There are some architectural examples of natural representations in our lives:
"Path" by Casey Reas. The author argues in a way
of intersection of natural processes and digital systems. Even so, keeping in mind the beauty of biological movement and natural flexibility, digital technology is not an instrument but a thing that can create art itself from the lines of living creatures.
"Artificial Natural History" by Sofia Crespo.
The performance displays that history itself could be different in each path. It uses AI for developing
an unknown reality with completely different organisms. This is shown as classic illustrations of real existing creatures. This concept is used to describe how biodiversity and the technology world could be involved in an absolutely unpredictable way in nowadays art.
"Flower Composition" by Jared S. Tarbell. The author
is also quite popular in this area of art. «FlowerComposition» became one of his most outstanding works.
The main idea of all of them consists in math calculations combined with nature's true aesthetic.
They are digital math elements that show something alike to petals and flowers. His artworks also remind us of fractals or cosmic objects.
Any representation of global nature, even in an unrealistic way, can be a masterpiece. All inspiration lies around us. Though, only a creative and intelligent person could bestow this only moment of life as something magical
in our lives.
to think that almost everything produced by nature would also work for new technologies for humanity. During active industrial development, we forgot how close people are to nature. However, recent technological progress and art performances show us a rebirth of natural-inspired ideas in everyday life.
The concept of adapting whole systems from nature and using them for «new» human things is quite ancient.
From early ages, our ancestors were inspired by spider webs to create webs for fishing or by birds' wings, which were modified into whole flying machines. Even boats' forms were copied from fish body structures. Numerous spiritual symbols and philosophical ideas were just borrowed from nature's manifestations.
Why does this happen?
It is not a secret that all living creatures on earth from the very beginning were not such as they are now. Billions of years of evolution, adaptation, and development in their bodies led to a perfect form of life. Nature makes no mistakes. Any non-adapted organisms simply did not survive. When this thought occurred in the human mind, it started to come into the real life of humanity. Maybe it is the certain reason for people's progress.
Any of living beings can be an inspiration for a new technology or a new scientific discovery.
However, artists'minds have also handled their reviews of nature's processes.
Unfortunately, with the start of the world's industrial development, people forgot that the best and most reliable technology is covered outdoors.
In the new century of technologies, there are a lot of art performances and engineering ideas where
nature-inspired details are common. Nowadays, we do not even notice that daily life is filled with creative forms
of natural expressions. There are three types of nature borrowing cases: copying form, processes, and whole ecosystems. For example, fasteners for clothes are inspired by a plant with similar hooks. Swimsuits also use technology from living beings — shark scales. Self-cleansing texture from the lotus leaf. Entire drone control systems are inspired by predator and prey behavior and birds flying.Engineering ideas and methods
that are used in design are truly astounding.
Artistic modification of natural processes, together with deep scientific knowledge, illustrates true masterpieces
for us. There are some authors who gave the world their vision of a kind of nature, although it is not always of real beings.
Art modification of nature processes together with deep scientific knowledge, which illustrate us true masterpieces. There are some authors, who gave the world their vision of kind of nature, although it is not always real beings.
Due to the unique forms of natural objects, architecture often borrows an idea and implements it in a whole new building. Various examples demonstrate how fascinating an edifice can be when inspired by mother nature.
"The Lotus Temple", located in New Delhi, was designed by Hariboros Saxo. Its form and even texture are quite similar to a natural lotus. The meaning of this gorgeous flower is spiritual awakening and the will to overcome difficult situations in life. Accordingly, the temple was made for prayer, to be closer to God, no matter what happens.
"Gardens by the Bay" in Singapore represent technology meeting trees and plants. The exciting design of tree-like structures functions as solar panels, which absorb solar energy during the day and release it at night. This allows them to draw water from outside and help plants grow, while also illuminating the area with beautiful lights that look unreal in the dark.
Natural features are used not only in complicated structures and ideas, but also in the art and design industries.
Tree-like bags by Lisiki are a perfect example of how trees and moss can be used in textile production. Such beautiful plant structures can often be observed in the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and America.
The perfume collection "Aqua Allegoria" by Guerlain features a cap designed like a honeycomb with golden accents. This entire collection of fragrances uses natural notes to convey how vibrant and fresh nature smells.
For example "Orange Soleia" evokes a light, spicy summer. Through perfumes, textures, and forms,
people can interpret feelings and the essence of natural objects.
We see thousands buildings every day, what’s about them? There are some architectural examples of natural representations in our lives:
"Path" by Casey Reas. The author argues in a way
of intersection of natural processes and digital systems. Even so, keeping in mind the beauty of biological movement and natural flexibility, digital technology is not an instrument but a thing that can create art itself from the lines of living creatures.
"Artificial Natural History" by Sofia Crespo.
The performance displays that history itself could be different in each path. It uses AI for developing
an unknown reality with completely different organisms. This is shown as classic illustrations of real existing creatures. This concept is used to describe how biodiversity and the technology world could be involved in an absolutely unpredictable way in nowadays art.
"Flower Composition" by Jared S. Tarbell. The author
is also quite popular in this area of art. «FlowerComposition» became one of his most outstanding works.
The main idea of all of them consists in math calculations combined with nature's true aesthetic.
They are digital math elements that show something alike to petals and flowers. His artworks also remind us of fractals or cosmic objects.
Any representation of global nature, even in an unrealistic way, can be a masterpiece. All inspiration lies around us. Though, only a creative and intelligent person could bestow this only moment of life as something magical
in our lives.
Biomimicry: What Inspires
Architects and Designers
Color Meaning
We see numerous colors each day. On phone screens, at the mall, at work, or in movies. Some of us regularly visit exhibitions and try to understand something extraordinary there. However, why do we react to these colors?
Color theory is the concept of how different shades work. Our eyes perceive any color that we see, and the visual cortex of our brain processes this information into a reaction. Originally, the idea of Color Theory was developed by multiple people. From Ancient Greece till nowadays, it has improved, moving from mythology to more realistic explanations related to the effect of light. The Renaissance offered even more ideas. Leonardo da Vinci thought that the process depends on natural conditions and light hitting the object.
In the 12th and 13th centuries, scientists began to engage with the idea of Color Theory. Isaac Newton, in his work “Opticks”, explained how light divides into certain main colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. This system is still used in all color work as the color wheel.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 140 years later, improved this wheel by adding the color magenta (red+violet). Then he wrote the book “Theory of Colors”, where he explained the psychological meaning and influence of each color on people's minds.
Later, Philipp Otto Runge refined the color palette with black and white. This sense of color depth is still one of the three most important qualities in Color Theory. Hue, brightness, and chroma are these factors for each color.
Thus, the primary colors in this system are: red, yellow, and blue. If we consider brightness, then dark shades are less bright than light shades. Orange, green, and violet are considered secondary colors, which appear by mixing the primary ones.
Since those times, the Color system has continued to improve. Different palettes and structures are used. However, what about color meaning?
Each color has special characteristics in our brains. One color makes you feel relaxed, while another color provokes disgust or another emotion. Coloristics studies the impact of colors on people in order to use this information in marketing, art, and entertainment. For example, green makes us feel connected with nature, slows us down, or even makes us feel safe. Red is the opposite: on one hand, it can bring a feeling of energy and willingness to act, but on the other hand, it can make you feel more stressed and anxious. This example shows how careful we should be with such subtle non-verbal factors around us.
Also, red and green are quite a common case of complementary colors. Many artists use this sense of difference in color and shades to show form through colors. Whereas in graphic art the form of an object is superior, color art tries to show feeling through colors.
Good examples of this art are Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh. Their art is not just about the realism of painting; it is more about how light and color work together. From artwork to artwork, feelings can be different depending on which colors are contrasting and how bright they are together.
Color theory is the concept of how different shades work. Our eyes perceive any color that we see, and the visual cortex of our brain processes this information into a reaction. Originally, the idea of Color Theory was developed by multiple people. From Ancient Greece till nowadays, it has improved, moving from mythology to more realistic explanations related to the effect of light. The Renaissance offered even more ideas. Leonardo da Vinci thought that the process depends on natural conditions and light hitting the object.
In the 12th and 13th centuries, scientists began to engage with the idea of Color Theory. Isaac Newton, in his work “Opticks”, explained how light divides into certain main colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. This system is still used in all color work as the color wheel.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 140 years later, improved this wheel by adding the color magenta (red+violet). Then he wrote the book “Theory of Colors”, where he explained the psychological meaning and influence of each color on people's minds.
Later, Philipp Otto Runge refined the color palette with black and white. This sense of color depth is still one of the three most important qualities in Color Theory. Hue, brightness, and chroma are these factors for each color.
Thus, the primary colors in this system are: red, yellow, and blue. If we consider brightness, then dark shades are less bright than light shades. Orange, green, and violet are considered secondary colors, which appear by mixing the primary ones.
Since those times, the Color system has continued to improve. Different palettes and structures are used. However, what about color meaning?
Each color has special characteristics in our brains. One color makes you feel relaxed, while another color provokes disgust or another emotion. Coloristics studies the impact of colors on people in order to use this information in marketing, art, and entertainment. For example, green makes us feel connected with nature, slows us down, or even makes us feel safe. Red is the opposite: on one hand, it can bring a feeling of energy and willingness to act, but on the other hand, it can make you feel more stressed and anxious. This example shows how careful we should be with such subtle non-verbal factors around us.
Also, red and green are quite a common case of complementary colors. Many artists use this sense of difference in color and shades to show form through colors. Whereas in graphic art the form of an object is superior, color art tries to show feeling through colors.
Good examples of this art are Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh. Their art is not just about the realism of painting; it is more about how light and color work together. From artwork to artwork, feelings can be different depending on which colors are contrasting and how bright they are together.
Chemical Christmas
Since childhood, we have celebrated Christmas surrounded by special decorations, sweets, food, and presents. Primary school gave us this feeling of anticipation. While making cookies or presents, you were thinking about parents, siblings, and friends. Decorating the whole house could take days. Walks through a forest, seeking that perfect Christmas tree. Looking for presents under it.
Though, what is it that makes us miss those Christmas days?
There are a couple of factors: The music, smells, and colors around us become associated with celebrating Christmas. That combination of certain actions, sounds, and decorations creates the special tradition.
All the reactions in our brain are carried out by neurons. They carry impulses, a kind of information from the world around us, to certain domains. In them, impulses are managed as defined data, and there should be a response to them. The reaction depends on what the trigger is and the person's position. In this sense, we use our ancient cortex, like the limbic or reptilian brain.
Music has a massive influence on humanity. Over 90% of people listen to music daily. There is a reason why we do it. Firstly, people are not just “listening” to music. During this process, the frontal lobes, temporal lobes, limbic system, and corpus callosum are activated. That means our brain deeply recognizes all aspects of music: tempo, rhythm, notes. Emotional and physical reactions are there too. We try to predict our response to any sound, how our body feels at the same time.
The music we listen to during Christmas time truly connects with physical and emotional patterns. You can start to feel nostalgic or the same anticipation.
For a long time, humanity has used music in life-meaning situations: weddings, graduations, and so on, which makes us remember the music for a long time. This happens because music is quite easy to remember. Therefore, we remember such memories as Christmas in childhood for our whole life.
Color does matter in any situation. It can manipulate our emotional state and even psychological well-being. In winter, the shade of each color matters more: warm or cold. If you live in a cold region, where snow is fine or any cold season is remarkable, you would understand it deeper. Cold and dark weather outside a cozy home makes you feel even more protected and comfortable inside. Colors in general are just waves, reflected light that is managed in our brain as it seems to us. Such a reaction to cold-dark and warm-light shades comes from ancient times when daytime was the only safety, but night could be unpredictable and dangerous.
Different odors are also strongly connected with the memory part of our brains. As the closest and easiest way of memorizing, we sense smells even more deeply than other factors. Even more so if you smelled something in a certain place, with certain people, and in certain periods of your life. In this way, the Christmas scent of amber cookies, Christmas tree, snow, and home is associated with that time when your celebrations were special.
So that’s why your home with dearest people around, sweets, and waiting for a miracle with gifts gives you truly special emotions.
Have a nice Christmas holiday!
You can learn more about the Smell of Memory and Color meaning in our previous article here.
Though, what is it that makes us miss those Christmas days?
There are a couple of factors: The music, smells, and colors around us become associated with celebrating Christmas. That combination of certain actions, sounds, and decorations creates the special tradition.
All the reactions in our brain are carried out by neurons. They carry impulses, a kind of information from the world around us, to certain domains. In them, impulses are managed as defined data, and there should be a response to them. The reaction depends on what the trigger is and the person's position. In this sense, we use our ancient cortex, like the limbic or reptilian brain.
Music has a massive influence on humanity. Over 90% of people listen to music daily. There is a reason why we do it. Firstly, people are not just “listening” to music. During this process, the frontal lobes, temporal lobes, limbic system, and corpus callosum are activated. That means our brain deeply recognizes all aspects of music: tempo, rhythm, notes. Emotional and physical reactions are there too. We try to predict our response to any sound, how our body feels at the same time.
The music we listen to during Christmas time truly connects with physical and emotional patterns. You can start to feel nostalgic or the same anticipation.
For a long time, humanity has used music in life-meaning situations: weddings, graduations, and so on, which makes us remember the music for a long time. This happens because music is quite easy to remember. Therefore, we remember such memories as Christmas in childhood for our whole life.
Color does matter in any situation. It can manipulate our emotional state and even psychological well-being. In winter, the shade of each color matters more: warm or cold. If you live in a cold region, where snow is fine or any cold season is remarkable, you would understand it deeper. Cold and dark weather outside a cozy home makes you feel even more protected and comfortable inside. Colors in general are just waves, reflected light that is managed in our brain as it seems to us. Such a reaction to cold-dark and warm-light shades comes from ancient times when daytime was the only safety, but night could be unpredictable and dangerous.
Different odors are also strongly connected with the memory part of our brains. As the closest and easiest way of memorizing, we sense smells even more deeply than other factors. Even more so if you smelled something in a certain place, with certain people, and in certain periods of your life. In this way, the Christmas scent of amber cookies, Christmas tree, snow, and home is associated with that time when your celebrations were special.
So that’s why your home with dearest people around, sweets, and waiting for a miracle with gifts gives you truly special emotions.
Have a nice Christmas holiday!
You can learn more about the Smell of Memory and Color meaning in our previous article here.