Despite being one our primary senses, scent is not usual associates with storytelling. In 2004 Febreeze introduced Scenctstories, a CD-player like device that plays smells instead of music. With names like “Wandering on the Beach” and “Exploring a Mountain Trail”, the idea was to transport users to another world using a predetermined sequence of smells.

Though the concept quickly faded into obscurity, the idea of using odors to form a narrative caught the attention of visual artist Adam Papagan. For his upcoming Coaxial residency Papagan (Virtual Reality Theme Park, The O.J. Tour) has expanded on the concept by adding audio and video to the original Scentstories discs. The program is presented in what Papagan has dubbed “low tech VR”, which incorporates elements such as space and temperature to create a truly immersive experience.