That Microplastics Smell Delicious!

- The Smell of DMS -

installation (2023)

Concept:

Recent science has shown that marine organisms mistake microplastics for food not because of their appearance, but because of their smell. Plastic is a material that easily absorbs odors. It also absorbs Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS), an odor produced by plankton. Marine organisms have poor vision and a keen sense of smell, so there is no doubt for them that plastic is a "pseudo-bait”.

In this work, the blue balls represent the ocean and the white balls represent plastics. By designing the smell of microplastics (DMS) in such a way that humans can easily smell them, this work questions environmental issues through smell.

Technique:

The boiling point of DMS is 38 degrees Celsius, which means it is moderately retained in seawater, which averages 21 degrees Celsius, but quickly volatilized under the temperature and humidity of the exhibition space. Therefore, I have applied a technique to adjust the solvent so that about 20 drops per day are dropped to release odor stability.