Therianthropie

( from greek, therion - wildes tier, anthropos - wildes tier , describing the humans ability to transform into a being that shows human as well as animal characteristics ( shapeshifting)

Currently, bodily smells and animal scents are considered disgusting and a sign of low social status. Thus, it is now common to hide our bodily smell and cover it with perfume and deodorants.

Nevertheless Philipp Kolmann believes that these smells should not be undervalued. After all, in the early stage of our being, it is the bodily smell of our mother which binds us to this world. Also our choice of partner and home are largely determined by smells.

Yet, what would happen if smells which are deemed “dirty”, such as animal smells, would be separated from their source in order to be injected into other mediums. Would this change the common perception and value attributed to them?

Aiming to infriltrate and change our hygienic behaviour, Philipp injected animal smells into soaps, an indispensable object and product used in contemporary hygienic rituals. In doing so, he questions not only the value of bodily smells, but also whether the perception of smells changes once they are separated from their source.


The series of soaps allows us to be clean, but still smell like an animal.