The secret power of fragrances

October 2025 to May 2026

Edward Weston, Shell, 1927
Edward Weston, Shell, 1927

Fragrances evoke direct emotional reactions more strongly than any other sense. From autumn 2025, the history of scent will be told for the first time in a major survey exhibition at the Kunstpalast. The Kunstpalast’s newly established display collection offers a chronological tour of over 1000 years of art and cultural history in 49 rooms. Scent steles, atomisers and diffusers distributed throughout the collection rooms create a close connection between the experience of art and smell. The exhibition thus offers a comprehensive sensory experience that not only teaches visitors a great deal about the secrets of scent, but also allows them to experience art in a completely new emotional way.

Curator: Robert Müller-Grünow, internationally renowned fragrance expert