The performative experiment’s presentation unfolded in three stages. While Mannigel presented the research behind her project, participants were invited to collect samples of their own underarm body scents. They were then asked to smell five body scent samples, which were anonymously presented in glass jars. Finally, participants were served the four snacks and one beverage that alluded to people’s body scents. The food design was based on Mannigel’s interviews. As participants smelled and tasted the samples, they were asked to record their experiences on a paper questionnaire.

Photo #1: Burnt popcorn. This snack is based on an interviewee who could imagine body scent to taste like burnt popcorn.

Photo # 2: Sweet elderberry flower vegan jelly. This snack is based on an interviewee who imagines body scent to have a delicate sweet taste like a flower’s smell.

Photo #3: Front left = Sticky red brown lavender caramel: This snack is based on an interviewee who can’t imagine eating natural body odor, but instead fragrant and artificial scents (e.g. shampoo, deodorant). He envisions a sweet gummy candy like taste with lavender. It could be red or purple, and have a chewy quality.
Rightmost = Beige/white vegan jelly with miso paste: This snack is based on an interviewee who could imagine eating body odor with added fragrant products. She pictures it to have little taste, not a lot of texture, nor structure, similar to a jelly. Taste-wise it would be salty, definitely not sweet, and beige in terms of color.

Photo #4: A spicy home-brewed beer. This drink is based on an interviewee who could imagine home-brewed beer to taste like body scent. The interviewee imagines the taste of fragrant products, such as, vanilla, cinnamon, amber, black pepper, sandal-wood, and palo santo.

Credits
Photo: Cody Healey-Conelly
Supported by: Art meets Science: Creative Innovation
Special thanks to: research Garmt Dijksterhuis & Jessica Duncan