Smog, wool and brick: the ‘smell’ of LS Lowry’s most famous paintings come to life at Lowry

Home to the world’s largest public collection of artworks by LS Lowry, Salford’s Lowry has unveiled a brand-new artwork that will allow visitors to connect with the works of one of Britain’s best-loved 20th-century artists in a whole new way.

Tasha Marks is an award-winning scent designer, historian and artist who explores the interpretation of art and collections through different senses in a bid to make cultural institutions and historic collections more accessible.

The new scent installation, commissioned by Lowry, reflects the industrial cityscapes made famous by LS Lowry.

The smell encapsulates industry, evoking the smell of the horses and carts, wet wool and rain-soaked brickwork with an air of smokiness, suggestive of the workers returning from a hard days work at a mill.

This new scent installation will act as a way of engaging visitors in a fun, innovative way, as well as enabling those who are visually impaired or blind to experience the paintings in the LS Lowry collection.

Hayley Gore, Access & Interpretation Manager (Galleries) at Lowry said “At Lowry we are always looking to find new and innovative ways to bring the LS Lowry collection to more audiences and we were incredibly excited to work with Tasha Marks to develop this brand-new work. Our sense of smell is incredibly powerful; with scents able to transport us to different places and moments in time. We hope this installation will allow visitors to the Galleries; especially visually impaired and blind audiences, a whole new way to engage with the industrial landscapes of 20th Century Salford and Manchester that LS Lowry was a master at capturing.”

Tasha Marks said “It was a joy to engage with the LS Lowry collection and respond with an aromatic interpretation of Salford in the 1910s. The bespoke scent is intended to complement and enhance Lowry’s cityscapes, transporting the visitor into the past and drawing our attention to the textures, people and atmosphere that LS Lowry so expertly captures.”

The unveiling of this new work coincides with the installation of a new Access Hub; a bespoke station to house all access equipment to support visitors during their visit to the Lowry Galleries, and with UK Disability History Month (14th Nov – 20th Dec 2024) and 2024 International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Tuesday 3^rd December.

Lowry Galleries are free to enter for all open and are open Tues – Fri, 11am-5pm, Sat- Sun, 10am – 5pm. Additionally Relaxed Sessions are available for individuals and families with access requirements who would prefer to experience the Galleries in a calmer and less busy environment and are bookable via the Lowry website.