Karolina GRZYWNOWICZ

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Karolina GRZYWNOWICZ

Participating Project	Exchange Residency Program (Creators from abroad)
Activity Based	Berlin
City / Place stayed	Tokyo
Period	2025.9 - 2025.11

Purpose of the residency

During my residency at TOKAS, I intend to expand my research on the politics of smell and its connection to memory, community, and healing. Japan’s long-standing olfactory traditions, especially Kōdō, offer a unique context to study how fragrance and ritual shape collective belonging. Through research, dialogue, and experimentation, I aim to develop an olfactory installation and scent rituals inspired by local narratives. The residency will provide a vital opportunity to collaborate with artists, scientists, and communities in Tokyo, fostering exchange and building lasting networks.

Plan during the residency

• Expand my ongoing research into the political potential of scent within the specific socio-cultural fabric of Tokyo
  
• Research Japanese scent traditions, including Kōdō and the historical role of fragrance in ritual and healing
• Engage with local communities to gather narratives and experiences that connect scent with memory and belonging
  
• Prepare public events to foster dialogue and exchange around scent, politics, and healing
• Develop participatory scent rituals that combine local lore with new forms of collective healing

Activities during the residency

During the residency, I carried out focused research on Japanese olfactory culture through historical inquiry, material practice, and artistic exchange. I took part in a Kōdō ceremony to understand how scent has functioned as a marker of identity and cultural belonging. I undertook a scent-focused research trip to Kyoto, Nara, and Awaji Island, including a visit to the Shōsōin Treasure House in Nara, where I learned about early aromatic materials, ancient incense recipes, and the long history of fragrance circulation. I developed practical and material knowledge through incense-making workshops in Tokyo and on Awaji Island. Professional exchange was a key part of the residency: I participated in the Smell Lab led by Maki Ueda, visited academic contexts in Kyoto and Tokyo, and met with artists and researchers working at the intersection of olfaction, art, and science. Alongside this work, I developed sculptural scent vessels in collaboration with Glass Roots and composed two new scents rooted in local botanical narratives.

Outcome of the residency

The residency at TOKAS provided a framework for research, experimentation, and dialogue around scent as a cultural and political medium. Engaging with traditional incense practices alongside contemporary artistic and academic contexts, I explored how scent operates within systems of ritual, memory, and power structures. Dialogues with researchers from Kyoto Saga University of the Arts, Hosei University, and Bunkyo Gakuin University broadened the scope of my inquiry. Material collaborations with local artisans resulted in glass vessels and sculptural elements. The residency culminated in a body of work including two new scents dedicated to hinoki and camphor, reflecting contrasting histories of ritual use, colonial extraction, and technological transformation. The residency established long-term professional connections and laid the groundwork for future collaborative projects.

Creator Information