"My father's legacy is breathed with the nose and with the soul"

Gina Ventós directs the Ernesto Ventós Foundation, born from the unique legacy of her father, perfumer, collector, and artist. Based in Barcelona but with an international reach, the Foundation promotes olfactory art as an educational, artistic, and sensory tool.

From scholarships and exhibitions to alliances with brands like Cupra, the project grows with a clear vocation: to turn smell into a universal language. We speak with Gina Ventós about memory, art, and the future, in a world that increasingly values what is not seen but is smelled.

--- What is the Ernesto Ventós Foundation and how was it born?

--- The foundation is five and a half years old, since the death of its founder, Ernesto Ventós, my father. It was established with the mission of using art, education, and philanthropy to make known a way of perceiving the world through smell. Ernesto laid the foundations of this project and, since his death, we have dedicated ourselves to continuing his legacy: disseminating his two great passions, smell and art, through exhibitions, loans of works, workshops, and collaborations with institutions.

--- What exactly was Ernesto Ventós's connection to the world of essences and art?

--- He came from the world of essences, of perfumery, but he was also a collector of contemporary art. He created a very unique collection, called olorVISUAL, made up of works he chose based on what they olfactorily evoked for him. He always said: "This work smells to me." Then he asked the artists to write a text about what smell the piece suggested to them. Finally, he added a specific fragrance and thus closed the perceptive cycle.

--- Is this collection still alive?

--- The foundation is dedicated to disseminating this legacy through exhibitions, but it also promotes new projects. We award prizes, scholarships, and productions, always related to smell. We recently granted three scholarships and one production for the Helsinki Biennial, in which an artist who works directly with nature and smell participates.

--- Did the interest in smell come from some personal aspect of Ernesto?

--- Yes. My father was deaf, not mute, as is often incorrectly said. He spoke, but he listened by reading lips or through sign language. Lacking this sense, he exceptionally developed his sense of smell. And furthermore, he dedicated himself professionally to it. He was a unique case: perfumer, collector, and artist. An unrepeatable profile.

--- Did he himself create the Foundation with you?

--- Yes. We founded it together in August 2019, and a few months later, on January 1st, he passed away. We had already discussed and planned everything. What we are doing now is expanding his vision, growing the project, opening it to new horizons, and systematizing everything he did in a very personal and intuitive way.

--- You recently collaborated with Cupra. What does that project consist of?

--- After a year and a half of work, we won a competition to develop a unique fragrance for their more than 1,500 stores worldwide. It's a brand that is very committed to culture and innovation, and our approach, based on storytelling and artistic sensibility, fit better than that of more conventional companies. In addition, they will also support us in artistic and cultural projects.

--- What role does philanthropy play in the Foundation?

--- Ernesto always wanted to give back to the world what he had received: the privilege of being born into a family linked to the world of essences. That's why, in addition to art and exhibitions, we promote scholarships, awards, and olfactory workshops, also in collaboration with foundations for people with disabilities. Furthermore, a part of his artistic work was developed with artisans, many of whom were deaf. A special connection was generated, a more intimate communication.

--- Have you also started a merchandising line?

--- As our main artisan has retired, we are starting to outsource the production of some pieces through foundations. We want to keep that aspect alive, but now from a more consolidated structure. It is not a business area in the classic sense, but it is a way to sustain the Foundation and continue spreading its identity.

--- You organized an event called Anosmia. What is it about?

--- It took place on February 27th at Colònia Güell, with great attendance success. We brought together seven prominent figures from the world of essences ---perfumers, scientists, chefs, doctors--- to talk about the loss of the sense of smell. We want to repeat it every two years. The next edition already features the participation of an Italian expert who works with military personnel to desensitize them to certain odors in war contexts. It's a fascinating topic.

--- As Ernesto's daughter, what do you think you have inherited more: artistic taste or olfactory taste?

--- Without a doubt, artistic taste. From a young age, my father would take us to museums, galleries, introduce us to artists… It was part of our daily life. He also made us try smells and asked us if we liked them or not. All of that educated our taste and sense of smell in a very vivid way.

--- The Foundation seems to have a growing international vocation.

--- Yes, clearly. We are present in projects like the Helsinki Biennial, in exhibitions like Veranos de la Villa in Madrid, and we maintain contacts with museums and institutions around the world. We also develop olfactory art scholarships with an international perspective. The idea is to consolidate this line and continue expanding Ernesto's legacy throughout the world.

--- Have you managed to define the smell of Barcelona?

--- In fact, yes. We did an exhibition at the Setba Foundation with an olfactory route through seven emblematic corners of the city: La Boqueria, the cemetery, the sea, the mountain… In each place there was a specific smell. We haven't replicated it, but it had a lot of resonance. And today we have been asked to develop the smell of freshly cut grass for a new exhibition.

--- What would you like the Foundation to be in ten years?

--- An international reference in olfactory art, capable of continuing Ernesto's legacy with rigor and sensitivity, and at the same time open to new languages, formats, and communities. And, above all, a living Foundation, that touches people, literally, through the nose.