KIÖR | Schmerzh

The city of Zurich is developing a strategy for an inclusive and diverse culture of remembrance in public spaces. Which stories are missing? Which perspectives remain invisible? Together with artist Olivia Wiederkehr, we have ventured into an artistic experiment that puts these questions at the center: The city itself becomes the narrator, speaking of experiences that have never been fully processed. Our aim was to find a language for collective pain and to create new forms of debate.

Making room for memories 

At six gentrified locations in Zurich – including Bullinger-, Linden-, Ida- and Louis-Favre-Platz as well as the old Letten train station – unassuming manhole covers were transformed into “scent monuments”. For three weeks, a composition of scents rose from these shafts, inviting visitors to reflect on their own connection to these places and their often –overlooked history. 

A pink circle marked the source of the scent, while posters inspired, provided context for the experiment and linked to the accompanying website, Schmerzh.ch, which explored the topic in greater depth. This opened a new chapter in the culture of remembrance that goes beyond traditional memorials. Numerous local associations, initiatives and groups committed to the culture of remembrance found a common space on the platform to share their perspectives. 

The city itself became the protagonist and was given its own Instagram channel to complement the intervention. With poetic posts on memory, pain and perfume, it opened another level of discourse. To prevent the memories from fading, the fragrance was bottled as a room perfume and thus remains present as a souvenir. 

The reactions to the project were emotional and varied. According to Olivia Wiederkehr, some people kept taping off the shafts – the scent disturbed them during their morning coffee or evening beer. 

The media, including NZZ, Tagesanzeiger and Kunstbulletin, described Schmerzh as a “scent monument”, a “new perspective on remembrance culture” and an “intervention in public space” that has triggered a public discourse on the culture of remembrance. The wide range of media coverage illustrates how deeply the project has touched people and inspired them to reflect. 

A Universal Language to Talk About Pain  

In a society that is permanently striving for optimization, pain is often suppressed or treated as a weakness. But how can we talk about experiences for which we can’t find the words? The installation sets a surprising counterpoint here: it uses scent as a universal language of memory.     

The choice of this medium is deliberate. Our sense of smell is deeply rooted in our emotional memory. Every scent we perceive with our nose is stored directly in the memory center with every breath we take – together with the emotion we feel at the same moment. That’s why smelling a fragrance can suddenly bring back memories and feelings that we didn’t even know existed. This connection makes scents ideal mediators for intangible or repressed memories. 

At select locations in the city, scent compositions unfolded collective stories – including those that have not yet been fully processed. This olfactory cartography enabled a new approach to painful topics beyond language and visual communication. 

But What Does Pain Smell Like? 

The fragrance composition of the installation only reveals its complexity on the second breath. What initially appears creamy, and floral develops into an olfactory biography of the city: an earthy base of chocolate, pepper and nutmeg reflects Zurich’s history as an international trading center. Above this is the scent of roses, which is used therapeutically in grief counseling and seems to cover darker facets like a veil. Geraniums, typical city flowers, add a healing note, while mineral accents of streets and stones reflect urban reality. 

The fragrance combined natural essential oils for their emotional effect with highly effective ingredients such as pyrazines to create fascination. The scent was intended to disturb pedestrians and invite them to stop and explore. As they lingered, the therapeutic properties of the fragrance worked subtly, transforming their interaction into an intense experience. 

The creative minds (or noses) behind SCHMERZH 

At the invitation of the City of Zurich’s KiöR (Art in Public Space) department, artist Olivia Wiederkehr embarked on a unique experiment that brought art and the agency world together. Live Lab supported the “Schmerzh” project in its creation and was Olivia’s partner in the conception, visual design and implementation of the project. Another important partner was the multi-award-winning Swiss perfumer Andreas Wilhelm. His experience and expertise had a significant influence on the creation of the fragrance. Together, they created an experimental work of art that takes the culture of remembrance to a new, sensual level.