Investigation into Collaboration 1, 2010

“The photogenic event [the Investigations into Collaboration, 2010 performance at CHELSEA Space] was declared a ‘picture of the day’ on the BBC website. But what the well-composed digital images could never describe was the strong clinical whiff of the antiseptic fluid used to clean the artists’ flesh before it was punctured by sewing needles. It was a smell loaded with memories and fears that I found repulsive. When I saw the images the day after the smell was already a vague memory whilst the stylish photographs had obtained an iconic glow. I was seduced despite having been repulsed less than a day before. The olfactory version of events has yet to be fully catalogued.” read more - Donald Smith -