Nicolas bonneville, 2023
Creator of Xyloflor, the scent of Shezad Dawood’s exhibition at Wiels Brussels (Spring 2023) and at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto (Fall-Winter 2023-2024)
Perfumer at Firmenich in Paris, Nicolas Bonneville fell in love with fragrances when he was 13 during a trip to Grasse. From then on, he returned there regularly to learn everything about the world of perfumery, including extractions and distillations. He chose to train with a Grasse perfumer, Jacques Maurel, who recommended the Jean Carles method of perfumery to him. Passionate about natural raw materials, he still takes his holidays there to coincide with the harvest period of the plants and flowers used in perfumery. And in much the same spirit he travels to India to follow the harvest of Jasmine Sambac, to Italy for Mandarin and Bergamot, to Florence for Iris, and to Tunisia to experience the harvesting of Orange Blossom. He loves being inspired by natural ingredients – and even grows them himself in Paris: Tuberose, Osmanthus, Rose Centifolia, Jasmin Grandiflorum, and Mimosa. From his parents – culinary chefs – he has inherited a strong appreciation for artisanship and craftsmanship. An admirer of all creativity, he could have become a glass blower, a cabinetmaker, or an architect. At the center of each of these creative worlds is the importance of mastering the art of combining materials; for Nicholas, this is also the way he envisions fragrance construction.
XYLOFLOR IS A DREAMLIKE BOUQUET. FUSING WOOD (XYLON) AND FLORA, THE FRAGRANCE IS NAMED AFTER AN INVENTED, MUTANT WORD - XYLOFLOR.
Not all of the plants referenced by Dawood and Lateef have a discernible scent. Therefore, using the garden’s potential as a site of creation, and conceived with the help of Artificial Intelligence and Headspace technology, this scent traverses the digital and natural world. Using Firmenich’s AI database, Dawood described an embodiment and association to the plants, enacting a call and response, which translated into the corresponding scent.
In the exhibition Xyloflor is presented in a large ceramic vase using bamboo reeds for capillary diffusion, releasing the scent into the night garden, immersing you within Dawood and Lateef’s metaphysical space.
A limited series of artist signed edition soliflor and scent are available to purchase.
TOP: Bergamot, Basil, Pear, Black pepper, Jasmine Sambac Nature Print (NP)
MIDDLE: Jasmine Sambac absolute, Brugmansia NP, Passiflora NP, Queen of the Night NP, Foxgloves (digitalis) Artificial Intelligence AI, Edelweiss (Lion’s Foot) AI, Wishbone (Torenia Fournieri) AI, Daisybushes (Ostéospermum) AI
BASE: Cedarwood, Patchouli, Musk
About FIRMENICH & their Nature Prints & AI lab used by Nicolas Bonneville to create Xyloflor:
Nature Prints is a proprietary Firmenich collection of fragrance materials developed through method of headspace capture. NaturePrint® utilizes SPME (solid phase micro-extraction), a syringe-like instrument possessing a porous material that absorbs the volatile components of nature’s breath (headspace above the flower). SPME allows for intimate analysis in the field while avoiding destruction of the plant and preserving nature. Following the capture, the fiber is analyzed with GCMS (Gas Chromatography & Mass Spectrography) to allow reconstitution of the aroma profile through a combination of natural identical and synthetic raw materials.
Firmenich invested in AI back in 2018 when they opened the d-lab™@EPFL, a unique innovation hub where they internally develop their AI capabilities to anticipate the evolution of conscious perfumery. This is beneficial as they develop the most relevant AI models to support their perfumers create superior fragrances to delight consumers. Their leadership in AI has been recognized by experts in the field when the d-lab™ won the award of Digital Innovation of the year at the Digital Economy Award 2021 in Zurich Switzerland.