San Francisco
A Smellwalk with Artist Arianna Khmelniuk
A Smellwalk with Artist Arianna Khmelniuk
Sensory attention to place w/ The Last Straw and Usal
Immerse yourself in a midday conceptual smellwalk through the city with experimental olfactory artist Arianna Khmelniuk—through sustained sensory attention to place, we shift from urgency back into a steadier rhythm together. This smellwalk is one of the artist's signature offerings, opening up what scent can do as contemporary art.
We begin with a face massage to clear the olfactory pathway and explore breathing as the instrument of scent perception—breath returns as an anchor several times throughout the day. From there, a guided silent smellwalk with curated stops, instructions for note-taking, and deep sensory listening. Every somatic element is in service of the nose: rewiring attention, imagination, and sense of belonging, and tuning us surprisingly deep into the present moment together.
We close with warmth: a resin-burning meditation and tea. The resin is gently harvested from Tahoe Basin floors and gifted as a smell-cloud the whole community shares to close the day.
Beginner-friendly. No prior experience needed, just curiosity and comfort being outside.
Ticket Type
When
04/18
Time
11:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Intensity
WHAT TO EXPECT
- 2.5-hour playful sensory experience
- Face massage and breathing practice
- Guided silent smellwalk through the city
- Note-taking instructions
- Breathing check-ins woven throughout
- Resin-burning scented meditation to close
- Curated taste of tea specifically selected for the experience
No experience needed with any part of the process. Just curiosity and comfort in being outside.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- A specially designed artist’s workbook with all instructions from the workshop and further guidance to continue your own exploration
- A deep dive into olfactory workings from artistic research, philosophy, science, and cultural anthropology
- A curated tea and speculative scent-meditation experience
What to bring
- Comfortable shoes
- Layers
- Water
- Pen
- Sun protection as necessary.
*Important note: Please arrive fragrance-free (no perfume that day) so the smell of the work remains clear. This experience includes resin smoke during a short closing meditation. If you’re smoke-sensitive (asthma, migraines, pregnancy sensitivities, etc.), you’re welcome to step back, mask, or opt out of that portion while still participating in the rest.
Guides
ABOUT
Arianna Khmelniuk is an Oakland-based experimental olfactory artist working at the intersection of media and cultural analysis. She founded Olfactory Playground, a platform for scent workshops and public experiments in sensory perception, language, and place. Khmelniuk holds an MFA from UC Berkeley and presented her work at MIT and Stanford University, as well as the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia. She has participated in the Salzburg International Summer Academy of Fine Arts and has received support for her research internationally.
