At ‘Notes on a Burning Dollhouse’ childhood burns fragrantly

By Mags Chmielarczyk

What if Proust’s madeleine was a perfumed candle? What would your childhood smell like?

At the opening reception of “Notes on a Burning Dollhouse” Thursday, childhood had the odor of the soft leather of a Mary Jane shoe. It also smelled alternately like a smoky grandfather clock, a lilac tinged bed, or sweet raspberry teacakes.

The new installation, located at IRL Gallery in Greenpoint, is a collaborative project between Brooklyn perfumer Marissa Zappas and wax sculptor Janie Korn. On display are a series of candles shaped as classic dollhouse fixtures, handcrafted by Korn and infused with Zappas’ own blend of nostalgic aromas. Think scented candles, but more Chanel No. 5 than potpourri.

The artists invite guests to bend down and sniff each object. If you get close enough to the largest candle, called “Memory of a Dollhouse,” you catch a whiff of sandalwood, creamy mint, and nonpareil candies. The pastel house sits in the center of the gallery inside a white picket fence—a detail by set designer Dena Winter. A dozen Mary Jane candles are dotted throughout the room, accompanied by bottled versions of their unique scent.

“Memory of a Teacake,” a life-sized replica of the frosted dessert, is tempting enough to eat. The candle is topped with a fluffy dollop of wax and infused with notes of sugary butter.

“A lot of the time, when you buy candles in a store, you don’t really get that texture,” Zappas tells me. “The smell combined with the sculptural feeling of the work is really special.”

As a perfume artist, Zappas has always strayed from the commercial standard. While studying perfumery and death rituals during her masters at the New School, Zappas became an apprentice to perfume master Olivier Gillotin. Zappas has since established a fragrance style with an anthropological slant: her “Redamance” collection pays homage to overlooked women in history. She often collaborates with other Brooklyn artists, including a nightclub-inspired scent installation with Bushwick’s Elsewhere and a perfume accompaniment to Rachel Rabbit White’s buzzy poetry debut.

In the rising scene of sculptural candles, Korn’s work is equally unexpected. Her whimsical portraits of pop culture figures and humorous foods have attracted the attention of Architectural Digest, The New York Times, and The Cut. One notable client is Tavi Gevinson, who shows off her own Korn custom portrait in a recent interview with Vogue.

This is not the first time Zappas and Korn have worked together. Before the Dollhouse installation, Korn and Zappas collaborated on a “Bodega Flowers” candle: an ode to the blossoms sold at mini markets and corner stores across the city.

“We were talking about how the pandemic has made us scent-deprived,” Korn says. “When you’re masked up, the one scent experience you can have is walking through the streets and through New York’s gardens—the bodega flowers that line storefronts.”

Zappas (left) and Korn stand behind “Memory of a Wrought Iron Bed” (Courtesy of Allison Brainard)

In “Notes on a Burning Dollhouse,” the scent-deprived can soak up the wistful smells of youth, and if they so desire, take them home. Korn’s candles and Zappas’ bottled scents are available to purchase (IRL Gallery, which launched mid-pandemic, also functions as a music venue).

Both Korn and Zappas work with impermanent materials: The candles will melt, and the perfumes will inevitably run dry. “Notes on a Burning Dollhouse” is a marriage of vanishing mediums, and, as the artists explain, a reflection on the peculiar nature of memory.

“Memory is so fleeting, but also searing. The wax can be burned and the fragrance can fade away, but there’s this ephemeral spirit that sticks with you. Memories of childhood,” Korn says.

“Memories of home,” Zappas adds.

IRL Gallery is located at 80 Franklin St in Greenpoint. “Notes on a Burning Dollhouse” is available to see–and smell–through Sunday, October 24.