The essay explores perfume as an Anthropocene artifact that mirrors the transformation of the human relationship to nature. In the context of the Anthropocene, where nature often exists as an idealized concept rather than a reality, perfume evokes a lost wilderness, but also illustrates global ecological and ethical paradoxes. The text traces the evolution of perfume from ritual incense to modern synthetic fragrances, revealing how these products link cultural values, symbolism and global inequalities. Perfumes represent the connection between nature and culture, past and present, while highlighting the influence of the Anthropocene on human identity and sensory perception.
Authors: Daniel Costa Jařab, Yelyzaveta Kalinina, Hedvika Synková