Please join us in the cinema space at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center!

The smells of the human body are generally considered abject, unwanted and never polite. Much of western culture is designed to minimize these odors—deodorants, toothpastes, mouthwash, laundry detergents, soaps, room deodorizers, as well the modern toilet. Historically, odors and myths of their effects, have well served racism, xenophobia, colonialism, and classism—reinforcing stereotypes, enacting boundaries and dehumanizing perceived others. In this talk, Vanouse discusses his recent semi-living, multi-sensory, biological artworks, Labor and Utter, designed to (re)produce and emanate human body odors for ethical and aesthetic contemplation. 

This event will be simultaneously live-streamed. Click here to watch the live-stream via the Hallwalls website. The talk will begin at ~4:15pm.

About Paul Vanouse, Professor, Director of the Coalesce Center for Biological Art, Art Department

Paul’s artwork employs molecular biology techniques to challenge entrenched notions of individual, racial, and national identity, and the cultural authority of DNA. His projects have been exhibited in over 25 countries and widely across the US. Solo exhibitions include: Burchfield-Penny Gallery in Buffalo, Muffathalle in Munich, Schering Foundation in Berlin, and Kapelica Gallery in Ljubljana. His work has been supported by Creative Capital Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts and the New York Foundation for the Arts. His multi-sensory artwork, Labor, was awarded a Golden Nica at Prix Ars Electronica, 2019.