Arpa

Ferragus is a multisensory project commissioned by Arpa Studios: a conceptual olfactory brand established by Barnabé Fillion to explore the notion of synesthesia through carefully designed scents, objects, and experiences.

Inspired by transgressive figures of Ferragus, a fictional character first introduced in a 1833 novel by Honoré de Balzac, and Madame de Brinvilliers, a scandalising aristocrat accused of murder and fraud in Louis XIV France, the project addresses the decadence of old European social structures and the urge of social deconstruction achieved through pre- and early modern alchemy and poison, drugs and medicine.

The sculptural forms of the diffusers, partially revealed through the semi-transluscent packaging that forms an integral part of the design, resulted from a deconstructive reading of French and Viennese historical architecture, including the notorious palace of Versailles: a material representation of social stratification. Translated from “active negatives” of the interior spaces they depict, the resulting abstract shapes were formed using the studio’s signature materials: 3D printed PLA metallised with polished zinc.