Inmates: a scent of freedom

Marie-Christine Grasse, the curator of the Grasse International Museum of Perfumery (MIP) had the idea of bringing the museum to people who are usually cut off from the outside world: inmates and hospital patients. When perfume becomes a means of communication with others, you can have some very enriching experiences.

by Bettina Aykroyd . 01/31/02

That is how Agathe Misseré, an MIP expert, wound up going to jail twice a week. For two hours, she meets with a dozen inmates aged 18 to 35 who enrolled in the olfactory course, the first of its kind in France. In the first few sessions, she told them about the museum, its history and activities. Over the course of her visits, she realized that for the inmates, the museum represented an unattainable, forbidden luxury.

It brings joy

Once the presentation of the museum was done, Agathe continued with the history of perfumery, followed by olfactory sessions. The class didn't catch on right away, but gradually, trust was built, and the men's tongues loosened up. Their first comments gave the impression of great happiness. "It calms me down and gives me joy. It's magical." The world of scents conjures up impressions of childhood, family and freedom. So these sessions allow inmates to go beyond the walls of the prison for a few fleeting moments. Now they can't wait to see Agathe enter the prison premises.
Smells and fragrances are unifiers. The olfactory sessions have also allowed these men to communicate with each other. When artist Chantal Tordo joined Agathe, the meetings were set up differently. The inmates started to finger-paint their self-portraits, inspired by smells. "This workshop allowed them to reflect on their identity, an enriching inner exercise that allowed them to transcend a demeaning universe," says Chantal Tordo. Their works of art were exhibited at the Grasse Museum. Thus the prison entered the history of the museum.

An olfactory journey at the hospital

Inmates aren't the only ones to enjoy these olfactory sessions. For three years now, Jacqueline Lemaire, another expert from the Grasse Museum, has been going to the pediatric wing of the Grasse Hospital every Thursday to visit children under 14. The children must obviously not show any sign of allergy or be prone to asthma attacks. The sessions take place in a recreation room or in individual rooms for bed-ridden patients.
She comes with her case full ofnatural raw materials and essential oils. And in a playful way, she initiates the children to the smells of the countryside or the city. "They are very open and spontaneous," she says. "I have heard little comments like 'A rose smells like a toilet or cheese', or 'Bread stinks', or 'Thyme smells like my daddy's car'. In fact, children refer to what they eat when they smell." With them, she makes perfume, foam bath and hair gel that they guard preciously. "These sessions are a real delight," says Jacqueline. "Seeing their faces light up, giving them a moment of escape to alleviate their pain, is a wonderful thing. It creates real ties between us. We send each other postcards, and when they can make it to the museum with their parents, they always ask to see me."
Now Jacqueline's deepest desire is to be able to extend the program to other hospitals.