A cultural exchange program exploring perfumery and scent culture.
August, 2025
With: Alejandro Soto Rodríguez, David Muggioli, Saskia Wilson-Brown
Overview of Program
Alejandro Soto Rodríguez, David Muggioli, and Saskia Wilson-Brown collaborate on a program that supports and encourages international connections in the field of perfumery. This cultural exchange will bear dividends through programming, academic and production exchange, and possible future co-productions between Chilean and American perfumers and organizations.
The initial program took place over a week in August, 2025.
Results and further programs are being developed: More information to come.
Partner Organizations
This program is being produced in a collaboration between the following partners:
Andes Aromas Fundación Chilena del Perfume
Asociación de Diplomáticos de Carrera de Chile (ADICA), with Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Chile
Universidad Mayor, Centro de Investigación en Artes y Humanidades – Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Artes, Santiago de Chile
The Institute for Art and Olfaction (Art and Olfaction Awards | Perfume on the Radio)
Additional participants include:
Atelier of Perfumería Botánica
Santiago Perfumes
Cajón del Maipo: Memoria Aromática
Fundación Eleva
Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Chile
Program Background
The Institute for Art and Olfaction has an existing commitment to fostering a more global narrative for perfumery—one that reflects the historical norm of perfume production: International in scope and diverse in its applications. To that end, the IAO has organized programs in the Netherlands, Spain, England, France, Germany, Cuba, Colombia, and others—in collaboration with universities, museums, and trade groups based in those countries.
While perfume is an international practice, there are regions that remain underserved by the contemporary fragrance industry. While unfortunate, this lack of attention nevertheless creates an opportunity: Local practitioners have the space to develop a new approach that is in line with local customs and histories. These regions, the Western United States and Chile among them, have the opportunity, also, to create new pathways for how perfumery is considered and practiced.
It is with this in mind that Alejandro Soto Rodriguez, David Muggioli, and Saskia Wilson-Brown present a model for cultural exchange that serves to strengthen the cultural ties between our respective regions.
The intention is to:
– Introduce Chilean perfume community, history, and production to IAO’s audience
– Introduce IAO activities and approach to Chilean perfumers and academics
– Raise visibility for Chilean perfume community and practices
– Raise visibility for IAO programs
– Introduce and develop concepts and thinking around olfactory diplomacy
– Identify areas for further collaboration
Participant Biographies
Alejandro Soto Rodríguez
With a Public Administrator Degree, Alejandro is a First Secretary of Chilean Foreign Service. With diplomatic posts in Egypt, Spain and El Salvador, next year he will be starting his new professional mission at the Chilean Embassy in Mexico City.
With interests in olfactive culture, he has supported the creation of Andes Aromas, the Chilean Perfume Foundation as also the Latin American Centre of Humanistic Studies on Aromas and Perfumes (CLEHAP) in the international arena, in which has developed several initiatives like strategic perfume meetings, olfactory testing, the First American Symposium at the Museum of Perfume of Mexico, among others.
Alejandro is a perfume collector and historian. Nowadays he is part of the Diploma in History and Curatorial and Artistic Practices of the Pontifica Universidad Católica de Valparaíso 2025, from where he expects to strengthen the knowledge on olfactive culture in Chile and Latin America.
David Muggioli
With 18 years of experience, Muggioli’s career has been highlighted by leadership and a deep understanding of human behavior applied to diverse professional contexts.
As Founder of Andes Aromas, the Chilean Perfume Foundation, and current President for two consecutive terms, we have actively promoted initiatives for the development and dissemination of perfume culture in Chile. His work at the foundation reflects a commitment to promoting this sensorial art and connecting with diverse audiences in a variety of contexts.
David has three years of experience in the niche and signature perfume industry, particularly in customer experience-oriented roles. This experience has allowed him to develop a unique sensitivity for understanding olfactory preferences and creating memorable customer interactions, applying principles of personalized service and loyalty-building in a specialized and sophisticated market. His background in psychology provides him a solid foundation for analyzing and understanding people’s motivations and behaviors. Also, he is specialized in human behavior in interpersonal contexts, with extensive expertise in customer service and experience. This psychological perspective enriches his approach to perfumery, allowing to connect on a deeper level with the emotions and perceptions associated with fragrances. In addition to his professional experience, he maintains an active interest in cognitive theory, social sciences, and human behavior. He has been a perfume collector for several years, which underscores his passion for this sensorial universe and my ongoing learning in the field.
About Saskia Wilson-Brown
French and American by upbringing, Cuban and English by heritage, Saskia received her BA in Fine Art from UC Berkeley and her MA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins.
In 2012, her interest in social arts practices led her to create The Institute for Art and Olfaction (IAO), a non-profit devoted to access and experimentation in perfumery. Through the IAO, she has collaborated on projects with institutions such as the Jet Propulsion Lab (NASA), Craft Contemporary, MSG Sphere, The Pulitzer Foundation, Getty Institute, Hammer Museum, and Wallace Collection, among others. In 2013, she founded the Art and Olfaction Awards to honor innovation and excellence in global independent perfumery. She has produced editions of the awards in cities including Amsterdam, Berlin, Lisbon, London, Miami, and Los Angeles. In 2018, she launched Open Sourcing Smell Culture to enhance accessibility for artists interested in olfactory art. This initiative aimed to foster knowledge-sharing in a domain often dominated by commercial interests. This was followed in 2021 by the initiation of the IAO Library, an accessible collection of books and historic perfumes. In 2019 and 2020 she served as a visiting lecturer in the MA Fashion program at the Royal College of Art in London, and in 2020 and 2021 she was a Ballen Scholar at New Mexico Highlands University. In 2023, Saskia and her team launched Scent Week, a biennial celebration of independent and experimental practices in scent that in its inaugural year took the form of a ten day festival with talks, parties, and workshops in Los Angeles.
In addition to running the IAO, Saskia’s current activities include producing and hosting a radio show and podcast called Perfume on the Radio, writing a book (to be released by Distributed Art Publishers | DAP in 2026), and researching a PhD thesis exploring perfumery in the context of creative practice at University College Dublin’s SmartLab.
About the Institute for Art and Olfaction (IAO)
The Institute for Art and Olfaction fosters experimentation and access in the field of perfumery, olfactory art, and other expressions with scent. Founded in September 2012 in Los Angeles, The Institute for Art and Olfaction is a 501(c)3 non-profit devoted to advancing public access to scent. We do this by initiating and supporting experimental projects with scent, by providing accessible education in our laboratory as well as in partnership with institutions and community groups, by curating art exhibitions that incorporate scent in our gallery, and by raising visibility for independent, artisan and experimental and artistic practices with scent as a whole. Through these efforts, we extend the world of scent beyond its traditional boundaries of appreciation and use.
Learn more: artandolfaction.com | instagram.com/artandolfaction