• FAMOUS DEATHS is part of the SENSE OF SMELL project. SENSE OF SMELL is an international co-creation and research project designed by Communication and Multimedia Design (CMD) Breda at the AVANS University of Applied science, the Netherlands, and part of the European cross-border network VIVID (Value Increase by Visual Design).

    Within this project, teachers and students explore the amazing world of scent. Their aim is to rethink and prototype the possibilities of scent for strategic communication, way finding, storytelling, interaction and media design. SENSE OF SMELL has developed prototypes for interactive installations, sensual experiences and immersive events.
    The 'scent printer', developed within the project is used to create the sound/scent experience of FAMOUS DEATHS. In September 2014 all research and developments were published in Sense of Smell: a book of ideas, concepts and engaging new thoughts on the subject of smell. On December 2nd 2014 SENSE OF SMELL organized a conference and exhibition at the MOTI in Breda with keynote presentations by Caro Verbeek, Peter de Cupere, James Auger, Prof. Dr. Ep Köster and Bernardo Juan Fleming. Furthermore a 'sweatshop' was organized for artists, olfactory experts and designers, students and teachers to co-create new concepts. The exhibition featured the FAMOUS DEATHS installation alongside works by James Auger, Peter de Cupere, Lucy McRae, Liza Witte and Joris Petterson.

    You can order your book at TEC books.
  • Can you experience someone's death up close and personal? Famous people who have died tragic deaths can leave ineradicable scars to our collective memory. J.F. Kennedy, Lady Diana... Till this day, the way they died still toys with our imagination. Many theories about the exact cause of death still revolve around the deaths of J.F. Kennedy and Lady diana. Wouldn't we like to have been there?

    FAMOUS DEATHS will recreate a famous person's last few living minutes by using scent. We all know the images of that open car that slowly drives through the streets of Dallas, the President happily waving to the crowd. And then, those few fatal shots. What must it have been like to be near that car? You would smell an autumn wind, the grass, the leather car seats, Jacky Kennedy's perfume, exhaust fumes mingled with the somewhat musty scent of that limousine, and then suddenly the penetrating scent of blood, brains and gunpowder drilling its way into your nostrils.

    FAMOUS DEATHS is a series of four portraits of celebrities in their final moments. This installation will reconstruct these moments as closely as possible, using only sound and scents. This will create a short but intimate experience. By taking away any visual keys, visitors experience these portraits more intensely.
  • Famous Deaths is designed by Polymorf Communication and Multimedia Design (CMD) Breda at the AVANS University of Applied science, the Netherlands.

    Lead design: Marcel van Brakel and Frederik Duerinck. Lead developer: Mark Meeuwenoord
    Design team: Wander Eikelboom, Thijs Eerens, Simon Kentgens, Ge Smit, Paul van 't Hullenaar, Martijn de Ruiter, Mark Meeuwenoord. Students: Anne Breevoord, Job van den Hoonaard, Bas van Hal, Daan Rijnkels, Marcel Boonman, Ruben Scheres, Dirk van Bokkem, Thomas Huster.

    Also massive thanks to: IFF, Bernardo Juan Fleming. Drawing: Paul van 't Hullenaar, Website: Edwin Kuipers
  • Current & Upcoming:
    09.03.2017 - 17.03.2017 Exhibition at IFVA, The Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong, (HK).
    24.03.2017 - 02.04.2017 Exhibition & Masterclass at STRP Biennale 2017, STRIJP-S, Eindhoven, (NL).

    Past:
    07.10.2016 - 09.10.2016 Exhibition at The Future of Storytelling Festival (FOST), New York, (US).
    05.10.2016 - 06.10.2016 Exhibition at The Future of Storytelling Summit (FOST), New York, (US).
    30.09.2016 Exhibition at Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, (NL).
    14.06.2016 - 21.08.2016 Exhibition at Phi Centre, Montréal, (CA).
    18.04.2016 Exhibition at Up the Game conference, Amsterdam, (NL).
    16.04.2016 - 21.04.2016 Exhibition at Tribeca Film festival, New York, (US).
    16.03.2016 Presentation at Austin Interactive Installation Meetup, Austin, Texas (US).
    15.03.2016 Presentation and workshop at The South by Southwest Conference and Festival (SXSW), Austin, Texas (US).
    14.03.2016 Presentation and panel-session at The South by Southwest Conference and Festival (SXSW), Austin, Texas (US).
    20.01.2016 - 23.01.2016 Exhibition and presentation at Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels (Fipa), Bellevue, Biarritz (FR).
    14.01.2016 Presentation at Interactive Storytelling Meetup #1, Lava Lab, Amsterdam (NL).
    16.11.2015 - 27.11.2015 Exhibition at International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (idfa), De Brakke Grond, Amsterdam (NL).
    04.11.2015 Exhibition at Playgrounds Festival, Chassé Theather, Breda (NL).
    11.06.2015 Presentation at Biotalk 12: Sweat, odor and soap, Mediamatic, Amsterdam (NL).
    22.03.2015 - 02.08.2015 Exhibition at Es liegt was in der Luft - Duft in der Kunst exhibition at Villa Rot Museum, Burgrieden-Rot (DE).
    05.02.2015 Presentation at Pecha Kucha Vol. 17, Utrecht (NL).
    03.02.2015 Exhibition and presentation at Design by Fire Café, Brandpunt, Breda (NL).
    02.12.2014 Exhibition at the Sense of Smell Conference, MOTI, Breda (NL).
    06.11.2014 Presentation at Crea-Zone, Budafabriek, Kortrijk (BE).
    04.11.2014 Presentation at Cross Media Café. Amsterdam E-Week, Club Panama, Amsterdam (NL).
    23.09.2014 Presentation at Pecha Kucha Vol. 11, Breda (NL).
    18.09.2014 Exhibition at the Vivid Closing Conference, Podium Bloos, Breda (NL).
    15.07.2014 Exhibition and presentation at the Tech Open Air 2014 Unconference, Berlin (DE).
    01.06.2014 Exhibition and presentation at Coded Matters #7 Extended Senses, Brakke Grond, Amsterdam (NL).
    29.01.2014 - 20.02.2014 Exhibition at Void( ) exhibition at the Ruskin Gallery, Cambridge (UK).
Info or Bookings
info@famousdeaths.nl www.polymorf.nl
www.senseofsmell.nl