The Smell of History: Scent, Identity, and Culture - Scent Historian Sofia Ehrich & Scentered Workshops Arielle Tai

Hosted by Scentered Workshops, with guest speaker Sofia Collette Ehrich

An engaging conversation and guided smelling experience exploring how scent has shaped human stories throughout history.

During the evening, olfactory heritage researcher Sofia Collette Ehrich and scent educator Arielle Tai will explore how fragrance connects us to people, places and memories across time. Through storytelling and discussion, we'll look at how smells have reflected social status, religious traditions, cultural identity and everyday life - from sacred spaces to personal rituals - while using a small selection of carefully chosen scents to bring some of the ideas to life.

The evening will include:

• an accessible introduction to the history and cultural significance of scent

• a light guided smelling experience using a selection of fragrance materials

• conversation around how scent shapes our memories and experiences today

No previous fragrance knowledge required - just your curiosity and nose.

About the speakers

Scentered Workshops by Arielle Tai

Scentered Workshops is an Amsterdam-based scent experience studio founded by Arielle Tai, creating immersive perfume-making workshops that invite people to slow down, reconnect with their senses, and explore the emotional world of fragrance. Drawing on the art and science of perfumery, storytelling, and mindful sensory exploration, Arielle creates intimate experiences that make the art of scent accessible to everyone - from complete beginners to fragrance enthusiasts.

Sofia Collette Ehrich

Sofia Collette Ehrich is an olfactory museologist, researcher, educator, and public speaker, and the founder of The Olfactory Contractor, which helps museums and cultural institutions use smell as a deliberate tool of interpretation. Working across the United States and Europe at the intersection of academia, museums, and industry, she translates research into exhibitions, educational programs, and public engagement, developing the vision for how scent can interpret a subject and collaborating with perfumers to realize the scents.

She previously served as olfactory events manager for Odeuropa, the European research project dedicated to uncovering and preserving Europe's olfactory heritage.

Doors open at 18:30 – Arrive early, grab a seat, and settle in.

Talk starts at 19:00 and runs until around 20:30.

Price includes light drinks.

Stick around afterward - good conversations don’t have closing times.