The sense of smell is almost never discussed, and it is even referred to as our silent sense. In this seminar, we will attempt to address this deficiency, at least partially. We will first examine the working principles of the sense of smell and then explore its effects on our social lives. In this context, we will also discuss how advertisements for scented products differ from those targeting other senses. Taking a brief journey through scented product advertisements from the beginning of the century to the present day, we will question whether we are truly selling fear or scent.
Bio:
Author, researcher, and perfumer Vedat Ozan (b. 1959) is the founding instructor of the course titled The Cultural History of Smell and the Senses in the Graduate Program in Cultural Studies at Istanbul Bilgi University. Ozan prepared and hosted the “Scent” program, which ran for over 150 weeks on Açık Radyo, as well as the 20-episode video series Twice the Horizon with Vedat Ozan on the Pena channel. Additionally, following his photography training at İFSAK, he served as a project coordinator and photography instructor.
Alongside his professional career as an independent perfumer, Ozan has conducted various training programs on the senses, sensory transitions, the mechanisms of perception and operation of the senses of smell and taste, and their cultural reflections. He has published numerous articles on the perception of scent in various academic and popular journals both domestically and internationally. Known for his expertise on “scent” and “scent within the perception of taste,” Ozan continues to work as a perfumer and conducts sensory training programs focused on scent perception. He also provides consulting services to institutions on the sense of smell and education.
Ozan is the author of four books published by Everest Publications: The Book of Scents, The Book of Scents: Perfumes, The Book of Scents: Cultures, and The Book of Scents: Flavors. Among these, The Book of Scents: Flavors was selected for the Food Writing category of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in 2019.
