Anicka Yi is an artist that I was introduced to through a conversation with my brother-in-law. A conversation that generally begins with, “how is this art?” I had never heard of her before, but I was intrigued when he told me her work was about smells. I, personally, love different smells because of the memories tied to them. There have been moments where I smell my childhood friend’s mother’s perfume, and all these memories begin to flood back to me. Although Anicka Yi’s work has to do with acrid smells, not the enjoyable perfumes a person decides to wear. Her work intrigued me because of her exploration with materials. Something that I am currently enjoying with encaustics; a fun exploration of the process with wax pigment.
Currently, she has a show at the Guggenheim Museum where she won the Hugo Boss Art Prize. The show that is in the Guggenheim involves bacteria, ant farms, and smells from things, such as: kombucha leather, deep fried flowers, armpit bacteria, ginger, cypress, and coriander. Her intention with the scent is to bring about narratives; narratives about a memory, or the synopsis of a person.

Anicka Yi, Force Majeure, 2017 (detail). Courtesy of the artist and 47 Canal, New York. Photo by David Heald. © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. Courtesy of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

Anicka Yi, Lifestyle Wars, 2017 (detail). Courtesy of the artist and 47 Canal, New York. Photo by David Heald. © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. Courtesy of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.
Anicka Yi, Force Majeure, 2017. Courtesy of the artist and 47 Canal, New York. Photo by David Heald. © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. Courtesy of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.