CORY REYNOLDS | DATE 11/8/2026

Pioneer Works presents "Scent and Seduction" with 'The Cultures of Perfume' author Saskia Wilson-Brown

Sunday, November 8, from 2–3:45 PM, during Pioneer Works' Second Sundays programming, please join author Saskia Wilson-Brown, author of The Cultures of Perfume, for an interactive talk on 'Scent and Seduction' in the Science Studios.

“Man’s sexual impulse is to a large extent activated by his sense of smell,” wrote Charles Waldemar in 1958. Indeed, scent has been used across time and across cultures to seduce, beguile, and occasionally trick people into bed. In celebration of the release of her new book The Cultures of Perfume (2026), Saskia Wilson-Brown, Founder and Executive Director of The Institute for Art and Olfaction, will demonstrate perfumery’s impact on humanity’s favorite pastime: lovemaking. With richly textured anecdotes interwoven with historical research, this interactive talk on olfactory culture features direct interaction with aromatic materials and perfumes listed below. A book-signing will follow.

Materials: Civet, honey, jasmine, leather
Perfumes: Ma Bête, Eris Parfums (Antoine Lie, 2016); Bee, Zoologist (Cristiano Canali, 2019); Jaz, Jazmin Saraï (Dana El Masri, 2022); Riders, Sarah Baker Perfumes (Ashley Eden Kessler, 2020)

'Scent and Seduction' with Saskia Wilson-Brown
Sunday, November 8, 2–3:45 PM
Pioneer Works
Location: Science Studios
159 Pioneer Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 596-3001
Info here