Johanna Nuutinen +Collaborators Élixir de Mer

The work draws inspiration from the sense of smell and its ability to awaken embodied memories, as well as from the refined techniques of perfume-making—the ritualistic devotion of extracting elixirs.

Perfumes were already used in ancient Egypt for seduction and as symbols of power. Scents also offered a means to connect with divine figures, opening communication between heaven and earth. Beyond pleasure, the sense of smell carries social taboos, for the experience of scent brings another body close; it opens a space of shared intimacy.

In our world dominated by sight, the physicality of odors tunes our bodies to vibrate, and Élixir de Mer explores their resonance through dance, sound, and space. It seeks the layered harmonies of scents that remain within us for weeks, months, years.

Élixir de Mer is the fourth part of choreographer Johanna Nuutinen’s series of works exploring the senses.