This fall, The National Nordic Museum presents the world premiere of Fischersund's first-ever museum exhibition, Faux Flora.
"Fischersund are moving art beyond the realm of the visual and into experiences that need to be heard, felt and even smelled to be believed." — "A Wave of Exhibits That Appeal to Visitors’ Noses", The New York Times
An Immersive Experience of Scent, Sound, and Visual Art
"We’re so used to using our eyes and thinking that art is something you look at on the wall, but artists like Jónsi are exploring the extrasensory." -Ethan Sklar, Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, for The New York Times
Faux Flora will take you on a multisensory journey, exploring the fragrance, sound, and movement of Fischersund's own collection of invented plant species.
Drawing upon the multidisciplinary artistic talents of siblings Jónsi, Inga, Lilja, and Sigurrós, each member of the collective contributes a unique artistic focus. Together, they've created this unique experience of scent, sound, sculpture, 3D-graphics, and photography.
Learn more about their artistic process at an Artist Talk on November 9, moderated by the Museum’s Chief Curator, Leslie Anne Anderson.
In Five Chapters, Imagined Plants Reflect Universal Human Experiences
“[Faux Flora] will illustrate the five life cycles of a plant, with a twist — the plants are born from human memories and experiences rather than seed and earth.” -Rachel Gallaher, Seattle Magazine
Inspired by the small number of native plant species in their home country of Iceland, Fischersund creates, names, and bring to life their own set of Icelandic plants.
Progressing through five parts, Faux Flora weaves together two forms of life. The plant life cycle—germination, growth, flowering, seed formation, and dispersal—is superimposed on the human life cycle of birth, childhood, adolescence, maturity, and old age.
Delve Deeper Into the Science
The exhibition explores the scientific relationship between scent and memory by drawing on the collective’s experience growing up in Iceland and integrating iconic scents like Icelandic Sitka spruce. In conjunction with the exhibition, leading researcher Dr. Venkatesh Murthy of Harvard University will explore the sense of smell and its powerful, often subconscious impact on human experience in a talk on December 9.
To learn more about the fascinating and unique history of plant life in Iceland that inspired this exhibition, we encourage you to join a virtual talk with botanist Dr. Pawel Wasowicz of the Icelandic Institute of Natural History on November 14.
Fischersund: Faux Flora is organized by the National Nordic Museum’s Chief Curator, Leslie Anderson, in collaboration with the artists.
Established in 2017, Fischersund is a family-run art collective and perfumery based in Reykjavik, Iceland. Founded by four siblings— Inga, Jónsi, Sigurrós, and Lilja—Fischersund serves as a creative platform using scent, visual arts and music. Fischersund makes immersive experiences that include unique perfumes, scented concerts and visual arts to facilitate their storytelling.
