Memories of a Carnival Ball], 2023

Perfumed ceramics, pollen paper, confetti, streamers, eight iconic perfumes from the last century in Brazil, a fragrance mimicking the scent of the early 20th-century carnival ballrooms, and a nebulizing machine.

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27th Season of Projects at Paço das Artes

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“Memories of a Carnival Ball” is an olfactory installation that transports us to the grand ballrooms of early 20th-century Brazilian Carnival, evoking the multisensory atmosphere of that era. The work consists of ceramic sculptures infused with perfume, accompanied by texts, confetti, streamers, and a scent-diffusing machine that releases a dense blend reminiscent of cigarette smoke, alcohol, and sweat. The lingering aromas of a festive night.

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The installation is the result of meticulous research that reconstructs a unique olfactory landscape from a key moment in Brazilian cultural history. By reviving the memory of these Carnival balls, the work also engages with Brazil’s perfume culture, inviting the audience to re-experience not only the scents but also the emotions, memories, and symbolic layers that once animated these ephemeral celebrations.

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