Xuelei Huang's 'Scents of China' Explores Olfactory History and Modernity
In October 2023, Cambridge University Press released Xuelei Huang's 'Scents of China,' a book that investigates the impact of scents on Chinese history and contemporary society. Huang delves into olfactory perception as a socially constructed phenomenon, referencing Zygmunt Bauman's idea of 'the stranger.' The narrative follows 'olfactory modernity' through sanitation initiatives in 19th-century Shanghai associated with Western imperialism. Additionally, the text addresses the use of smells as ideological tools, exemplified by propaganda during the Mao era. Huang cites Alain Corbin's 'The Foul and the Fragrant' (1986) and Ann-Sophie Barwich's 'Smellosophy' (2020). The importance of olfaction was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the book also analyzes visual and literary references, including 'Dream of the Red Chamber' and Anicka Yi's contemporary art.
Key facts
- Xuelei Huang's book 'Scents of China' was published in 2023 by Cambridge University Press
- The book examines the history of smells in China through cultural, political, and biological lenses
- Huang uses sociologist Zygmunt Bauman's concept of 'the stranger' to describe indeterminate smells
- Olfactory modernity in 19th-century China involved deodorization projects like Shanghai's European-style drainage systems
- Smells have been used ideologically, such as in Mao-era propaganda terms like 'stinky number nine'
- Huang references Alain Corbin's 'The Foul and the Fragrant' (1986) and Ann-Sophie Barwich's 'Smellosophy' (2020)
- The COVID-19 pandemic caused Huang to lose her sense of smell, emphasizing its importance
- Huang discusses contemporary artists like Anicka Yi and proposes a performance art piece on colonial human exhibitions
Entities
Artists
- Xuelei Huang
- Alain Corbin
- Zygmunt Bauman
- Ann-Sophie Barwich
- Cao Xueqin
- Anicka Yi
- William Tullett
- Immanuel Kant
Institutions
- Cambridge University Press
- ArtReview
- Tate Modern
- The Illustrated London News
Locations
- China
- Shanghai
- France
- Britain
- Europe
- Japan
- Paris
- London