4 rooms, 4 themes, 16 perfumes
FRAGRANT MAP OF THE HEART
By presenting perfume not only as an artistic exhibit but also as a trigger of emotions and memories, Metropoliten reminded its audience that scents are a subtle pathway to the heart. The space of the renowned Belgrade club "Mladost/Ludost/Radost," closed in May the year before last, was reopened specifically for Metropoliten, unveiling its 4 rooms dedicated to 4 scent-emotional themes.
"Perfume is a story told in scents, sometimes a poetry of memories," said Jean-Claude Ellena, a perfumer whose compositions are minimalist like postmodern canvases, radiant like Vermeer's paintings.
Here’s the ideal quote to begin the story of our unique sensory exhibition, where the power of perfume is combined with visual and audio effects for a multisensory impact that left no one indifferent.
Metropoliten team spent considerable time developing the exhibition concept, selecting perfumes that best represented each theme and evoked emotions, collaborating with other artists, and on May 10th of this year, they presented the inaugural "Sensory Exhibition" with the message: "follow your nose."
4 ROOMS, 4 THEMES, 16 PERFUMES
What emotions and memories do perfumes commonly evoke? What inspirations do perfumers often speak of? Exploring answers to these questions led Metropoliten team to four themes: scent as an evocation of memories of happy times, childhood and youth; evocation of places and spaces that were important to us; a return to nature as an authentic and increasingly strong need in urban environments; love and passion, physiologically and culturally inseparable from scents.
For each theme, we selected four perfumes that fit within it, based on the experiences of those who use them (evocation) and the words of perfumers (inspiration). Additionally, we invited other artists to present fragrances within their media—visual, audio, performance—turning the exhibition into a multimedia spectacle of colors, scents, textures, sounds, and movements.
The selected 16 perfumes, stripped of their marketing details, logos, and branded bottles for this occasion, were presented in identical glass containers with pumps. Each fragrance exhibit featured "evocation" and "inspiration" inscriptions—allowing us to let the scent guide us down paths known only to ourselves.
For the exhibition opening, Metropoliten chose a venue that conceptually integrated fully into the theme: the iconic Belgrade club Mladost Ludost Radost Gajba, with 4 rooms, each dedicated to its theme, closed two years ago after 12 years of operation, and it was decided to reopen the doors of this famous old house in Savamala specifically for our exhibition.
ROOM 1: SWEET MEMORIES – IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME
Scents that often evoke nostalgia for happy times are associated with food, flowers, nature... In the room where an enormous paper strip visually guides us through time, quoting from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's "The Little Prince," four perfumes were exhibited—scented memories.
- The branch of blooming lilac leaning over the fence (EN PASSANT, FREDERIC MALLE);
- Clean white laundry fluttering in the spring breeze (BLANCHE, BYREDO);
- Sugared treats sold by the carousel (CONFETTO, PROFUMUM ROMA).
- The first day of summer is tinged with orange juice (FLEUR D’ORANGER 27, LE LABO).
Whether these memories are wistful or joyful, whether they evoke warmth around the heart or tears in the eyes, it's up to each of us to decide.
ROOM 2: SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY – I REMEMBER THAT PLACE...
A poetic audio-visual environment for "sentimental journeys" was set up by multidisciplinary artist Aleksandar Lazar, who deals with "visual music."
- In this room, we become silent, contemplative, immersed in scents, music, and video effects that, like waves, lead us to the Aegean, under a fig tree in Greece (PHILOSYKOS, DIPTYQUE);
- Like windblown grass, to the Irish plains in early spring (IRISH LEATHER, MEMO PARIS);
- Like the hot wind, to an oriental market full of spices (AMBRE KHANDJAR, UNE NUIT NOMADE);
- Like a swirl in a teacup, they take us to Japan (THE MATCHA 26, LE LABO).
ROOM 3: NATURE AND ELEMENTS – RETURN TO THE ROOTS
We felt sand and grass under our feet—literally—in a room that returned us to nature, intoxicated by green scents that filled the space. Here, besides experience, we relied on scientific evidence that nature calms: a study in Japan explored the effect of scenes of Japanese cypress "hinoki" forests on subjects, noting an exceptionally relaxing effect. When subjects were presented with the scent of "hinoki" essential oil alongside the image, the calming effect on the mind and body was even stronger. Four nature-themed perfumes in this room combined to create a unique impression:
- Everything around me is thriving (SYNTHETIC JUNGLE, FREDERIC MALLE);
- I dive into green (ICHNUSA, PROFUMUM ROMA);
- The scent of rain in the garden intoxicates me (RAIN CLOUD, PERFUMER H);
- Damp earth and the scent of a river (L’OMBRE DANS L’EAU EDT, DIPTYQUE).
ROOM 4: LOVE AND PASSION – I FEEL YOUR SKIN
Visually spectacular, the fourth room dazzled us with colors, scents, and movement: four perfumes, embodied by artists in four diverse performances representing romance, erotica, love, and passion.
- The scents in this room rely on traditionally alluring musk molecules sweetened with vanilla (LOVE DON’T BE SHY, KILIAN);
- Intoxicating white flowers with narcotic effects (FLEUR NARCOTIQUE, EX NIHILO);
- Sweet powdery clouds of a gentle kiss (BESOS, CARNER BARCELONA);
- Powerful aldehydes with a proven erotic effect (SEMINALIS, ORTO PARISI).
According to audience feedback, as testified in numerous posts after the exhibition, Metropoliten took its audience on an unforgettable olfactory journey. Our perfumery, which introduced "niche" perfumes to Serbia 18 years ago, accustomed the public to the unusual, rebellious, and eccentric, step by step raising their perfume preferences.
Exhibition Team:
The concept and perfume selection were handled by Metropoliten perfumery team, with production by a separate team. The development of the multimedia concept and overall production was led by Marija Muždalo, executive production by Tamara Janković, and set design by Magdalena Vlajić, with assistance from Dina Nedelkov. Sanjin Ćorović (Production Pool) added the final touch with audio-visual production, and DJ Petko created the sounds for the exhibition.
In the "Love and Passion" space, the attention of the lens and admiration were drawn by the movements and dance of Dejan Kolarov, Sanja Obradinović, and Milica Jević Drndarević, alongside two performers behind the canvas, Branko Mitrović and Lara Gromilić.
