譚婧
2025
patchouli, vanilla, tonka bean, patchouli, oregano, star anise, sage, bulgarian rose, cedarwood, 28 osmanthus absolute, carrier oil, shea butter
Scent collaborator: Moho Space
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul
Miyak #01 is an evolving work developed during Tan Jing’s residency at MMCA Korea. Her practice explores the affective potential of materials, currently focusing on how olfactory substances function within Korean cultural narratives, folk myths, and ritual practices, particularly in relation to transformation, desire, and taboo.
This project forms part of a long-term inquiry into aphrodisiac and stigmatized botanical ingredients. Many of the substances Tan investigates carry intoxicating, seductive, or sacred qualities, yet have historically been suppressed or erased due to their associations with unruly femininity, affective excess, or bodily autonomy. In Korean vernacular, such substances are sometimes referred to as miyak, loosely translated as “seductive substances.”
For this experimental iteration, Tan has collaborated with a local olfactory researcher to develop a balm and essence oil based on archival miyak-like formulations. Designed to be worn on the body, these scented materials seek to reactivate dormant registers of desire and emotional receptivity. A paper-based work on glass accompanies the olfactory elements, referencing East Asian architectural motifs such as paper doors and windows. This surface functions as both barrier and membrane, evoking porous thresholds between concealment and disclosure, longing and prohibition.
Documentation of Open Studio, MMCA Residency 2025, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul
Documentation of Open Studio, MMCA Residency 2025, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul
Miyak #01, Loop Alternative Space , Seoul
Work in progress of Miyak project for Shanghai Biennale 2025