Sogni di Natura exhibition merges 18th-century Bolognese painting with contemporary olfactory art

The exhibition Sogni di Natura transforms Bologna's Sala Boschereccia in Palazzo d'Accursio into an imagined garden where 18th-century decorative paintings interact with contemporary fragrances. Running until April 19, the show coincides with the 57th edition of Cosmoprof Worldwide. Six olfactory stations guide visitors through a sensory journey that translates the room's green decorations into scents ranging from fresh forest accords to lemon flower notes and sophisticated rose nuances. Students from the Italian Perfumery Institute created the fragrances based on historical and symbolic analysis of the space, translating the 18th-century identity into sensory narratives that respond to Vincenzo Martinelli's landscape paintings and Giuseppe Valiani's lively putti figures. The exhibition demonstrates how Bologna's cultural heritage can engage with contemporary artistic languages, moving from 18th-century landscape painting to authorial perfumery. Beyond the exhibition, Sogni di Natura includes workshops and events that invite public reflection on how art and perfumery can interact, offering an immersive and participatory cultural experience. The Sala Boschereccia serves as an experimental space where history meets modernity, encouraging visitors to rediscover the city's art through nature's breath while transforming the museum into a place where time expands and every sense becomes integral to the narrative.