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February 2025 - May 2025 Angewandte Interdisciplinary Lab, University of Applied Arts Vienna What does a being smell like that effortlessly navigates the complexities of the world? What scents emanate from a body attuned to systemic awareness? CONCEPTION OF SYS: THE SMELL OF A MYTHOLOGICAL BEING, the fifth part of the Series of Scenographic Studies by MUELLER-DIVJAK, explores these questions through a speculative, olfactory experiment. Developed as part of the SENSING LIVING SYSTEMS arts-based research project, the installation introduces SYS, a mythological yet contemporary being that embodies system awareness - a presence that thrives in constant change, embraces complexity, and exists in deep resonance with its surroundings. SYS is not bound by rigid structures but adapts fluidly, sensing the interconnectedness of all living and non-living systems. The installation investigates how this being might smell, inviting visitors to experience the olfactory identity of SYS as an intangible but immersive presence. Scientific research has long explored the link between olfaction and emotional cognition - our ability to understand and react to environments based on scent. The human body exudes different smells depending on emotional states: fear, ecstasy, illness, youth, age, and even the foods we consume contribute to the subtle yet profound language of scent. In imagining the olfactory profile of SYS, the installation speculates on what a posthuman, multisensorially attuned existence might smell like. Displayed in the Art Cabin at the Angewandte Interdisciplinary Lab, the installation invites visitors to engage beyond the visual, shifting their perception toward scent as a vehicle for conceptual exploration. By crafting an olfactory myth, Conception of SYS suggests that our ability to smell, sense, and resonate with systems might be key to navigating an increasingly complex world. #SLS #SENSING LIVING SYSTEMS #FWFPEEKProjekt #MUELLER-DIVJAK Jeanette Müller, Paul Divjak, Alexandra Graupner, Anna-Maria Irgang
