The Smell of Bottendaal

The smell of Bottendaal is my third perfume project in Nijmegen. For my solo exhibition at the Gallery de Natris, I presented the result of my research on the district of Bottendaal. This is a pre-war district in the centre of Nijmegen where, in the late 90’s early 21st century, urban renewal caused drastic physical and social changes. A neighborhood with little green areas, but with many traces of the time when many factories and small businesses were established. This was a melting pot of nationalities, and a settlement of several prominent factories and companies that played an important role in the national economy and local environment. I studied the history of Bottendaal and searched for traces of its industrial history in different locations in the district. There I collected plants and flowers, which I used to develop a new perfume, which took the name of ‘The Smell of Bottendaal’ in which the turbulent history of Bottendaal and its present are trapped.

This study yielded a wealth of data that reflects on the history of the district , which is presented in the exhibition.