In Conversation with Saskia Wilson-Brown. "Making space for the aliens in the fragrance industry."

Saskia Wilson-Brown, a Cuban-British-American artist and curator, studied Fine Art at UC Berkeley and Central Saint Martins. After early work in art, film festivals, and television, she founded The Institute for Art and Olfaction (IAO)in 2012 as a nonprofit advancing access and experimentation in perfumery. Through the IAO, she established many programs and initiatives, including the Art and Olfaction Awards, the Experimental Scent Summit, the biennial Scent Week LA, as well as the IAO’s educational, exhibition, and library initiatives (in collaboration with her colleagues at the IAO). She lectures internationally for leading universities and conferences, hosts the radio show and podcast Perfume on the Radio, and is currently writing a book with Distributed Art Publishers (expected Autumn 2026) while completing a PhD on scent in creative practice at SmartLab, University College Dublin.“The Institute, in the beginning, was kind of an art practice…social sculpture or relational art that has evolved into a whole different thing now…a nonprofit.”Thank you to Saskia for being on the podcast. Be sure to follow along with her on Instagram. Saskia's full written Ratio & Ritual interview for “Inner Worlds” can be read here.Show Notes and Resources:The Cultures of Perfume, coming November 2026, the joys of civet and malodor, The Art and Olfaction Awards, the rise of Chinese indie and experimental perfumers, The Experimental Scent Summit in Athens, The Biennial Scent Week, Snowblink, The Pan-American Perfume Congress, El Flamin’ Taco (specifically the Echo Park location!), The Philosophical Research Society LibraryAccess all premium content, including monthly longform essays, the In Conversation podcast, and community features by upgrading to a premium subscription. Right now, I’m offering a 30 day free trial.You can also receive free premium access by referring a friend you think will enjoy Ratio & Ritual. Thank you for helping to expand this community. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ratioandritual.substack.com/subscribe