Following in the footsteps of Sarah Bouasse, creator of the olfactory experience at “La Caverne du Pont-Neuf”

"La Caverne du Pont-Neuf" has a smell! What is it?

These are actually two scents that I developed with the perfume house Odore Scola. We worked with geosmin and isoborneol, two molecules produced by microorganisms (bacteria or fungi) that inhabit the soil, both in the city and in the countryside. We’re all familiar with these molecules without realizing it: they make up the characteristic scent of the earth after rain, petrichor. I would describe these two scents as “universal,” “organic”—since they are naturally present in our environment—and “terrestrial,” in the sense of both earth and the Earth.

How did this decision come about?

As soon as JR’s team contacted me, working with these molecules felt like a natural choice. Two factors guided my decision. I first thought of “La Caverne du Pont-Neuf” as a physical reality: an underground mineral mass. However, geosmin and isoborneol effectively evoke the image we have of it. Then there is its symbolic dimension of a return to origins. These molecules are intimately linked to the earliest forms of life on Earth. They take us back to the microorganisms without which we would not exist.

JR conceived his installation as a total experience, one that engages as many senses as possible. “La Caverne du Pont-Neuf” already existed through images, set design, and soundscapes… The scent adds the finishing touch to this immersive experience and lends a sense of realism to the whole. This is our first collaboration, and it’s also the first time he’s tackled this sense, which makes the project all the more exciting.

What was your approach to this project?

As a journalist and author, my approach blends science and art: I’m interested in scents, what they convey, and their symbolic meaning. But I am not a perfumer. To create these blends, I therefore turned to professionals working in the laboratories of the University of Montpellier (Hérault). And I asked them to create a composition free from the imperative to “smell good,” since the idea was not to produce a hedonistic fragrance meant to please or be worn. Geosmin, for example, is one of my favorite smells in the world, but I wouldn’t spray it on myself every morning!

Finally, whereas Thomas Bangalter conceived of a “soundscape” rather than music for the installation, I propose minimalist chords rather than compositions: there is a real resonance between our approaches, with this idea of working with simple, almost raw material.

Since smell is invisible, how can it be perceived?

That’s the whole point. I already know that it all depends on each person’s attention and threshold of perception: among the millions of visitors expected, some will immediately sense this olfactory dimension, while others will not. In a highly visual world, smell is often considered imperfect, because we can’t show it or share it on WhatsApp the way we would with music. We can only talk about it, describe it with words. That’s why I love writing about smells. As for the sense of smell, it’s a sense we’re most aware of when we lose it—many people realized this during the Covid crisis!

What kind of reaction do you expect from the audience?

Emotions! They will be very different for each person, as they are tied to personal experience. These scents of rock and wet earth often evoke positive memories, but nothing is universal when it comes to personal perception. Smell enriches our relationship with the world and with ourselves, and it is also deeply connected to life: it is the primary mode of communication between species. By giving a place to the sense of smell in a major artistic project, JR is championing a cause I have long defended: bringing this sense back to the forefront, encouraging people to “look up”!