Odor Map of Peckham
Background
This is a project from Unit 8 of UAL 2022-2023, tasked with engaging Peckham’s residents and visitors in creating a project that showcases creativity and narrative, culminating in an exhibition to attract visitors.
Peckham, known for its art scene, vintage markets, food market and artist exhibitions, lacks significant tourist influx due to limited government promotion. My goal is to enhance Peckham’s visibility to draw more visitors.
The concept is to create AI hardware that enables the elderly to easily switch between different AI assistants/modes, giving them a sense of control over the technology. The first iteration features sliders—when users want the AI to respond in a different manner, they can intuitively adjust the sliders, and the AI will adapt its tone accordingly.
Research shows that smell can trigger memories more subtly and effectively than vision, allowing recall of experiences without repetition.
——————The Proust Effect. The Senses as Doorways to Lost Memories
Research
Our eight-member team visited 54 spots in Peckham and gathered 31 different scents, which we then depicted through abstract watercolor paintings.
I aim to attract visitors by highlighting Peckham’s appealing activities through the scent.
The Proust Effect refers to the phenomenon where scents evoke vivid and emotional memories.
Olfactory memories, linked to emotions due to direct connections to the brain’s limbic system, including the amygdala and hippocampus, are particularly impactful.
Odor Visualization & Comic Book
Comic Book
My initial advertising concept was a comic book, illustrating the delightful scents of the Peckham community through the eyes of a Peckham puppy.
Exhibition
5.23 2023
At the exhibition, I encouraged visitors to contribute a Peckham scent, creating an initial smell database that served as the foundation for my scent coding.
New Odor Map of Peckham
Delta Express Pizza SE15 5EB
Pizza’s flavor arises from the Maillard reaction, while its aroma wafts from the shop, enticing passersby.
Kirkwood Nature Reserve SE15 2TN
Every urban movie forest exudes a mysterious and primal “woodsy” essence, present yet elusive.
155a Rye Ln SE15 4TL
The market’s pungent blend of seafood and meat aromas can occasionally be overpowering.
Impact
A total of 68 individuals attended my scent map exhibition, contributing 128 different scents.
Many people view this as an innovative travel check-in method, finding it quite impressive.
I’m seeking proposals from Southwark Tourism to launch official scent maps. I’ve already distributed 50+ maps and placed flyers in key locations.
