Submissions | VizChitra 2026
The Scent of Grounded Change
Sadhana
Designer
Description
An olfactory data experience exploring how the cultural meaning of rain in Bangalore has shifted alongside measurable ecological transformation of the city’s land. The work brings together two datasets: forest cover decline and built-up land expansion, and a tonal analysis of monsoon-related newspaper headlines coded into celebration, relief, disruption, and disaster. As permeable land decreases and impervious surfaces increase, rain interacts with the ground differently—altering both environmental conditions and public narrative.
Visitors move through a spatial installation structured around changing ground conditions. Each section presents selected land-use statistics alongside curated headlines about monsoon arrival. At the centre of each zone, a distinct petrichor composition mutates according to land condition, shifting from rich organic depth to mineral sharpness and muted earth. Petrichor becomes the sensory mediator between ecological change and cultural perception, inviting visitors to consider how transformations of land reshape not only infrastructure, but meaning itself.
Data Source
Quantitative land-use statistics + qualitative media text analysis
Ecological Data (Bangalore, 1990–2025): -Forest cover change (Forest Survey of India reports) -Built-up land expansion and impervious surface growth (urban land-use / satellite studies)
Cultural Data: -Monsoon-related newspaper headlines from major Bangalore publications -Headlines manually coded into tonal categories: celebration, relief, disruption, disaster
Visualization Method
The project is presented as a spatial installation translating ecological and cultural datasets from Bangalore into an embodied, sensory experience. Selected land-use statistics are presented alongside curated monsoon-related media excerpts from corresponding time periods.
Petrichor compositions are diffused within the space, shifting in character in response to measurable land transformation. Data becomes experiential through spatial arrangement and olfactory variation rather than conventional charts or screens.
The work invites visitors to reflect on how changes in land use influence not only environmental conditions, but also the cultural and emotional meaning of rain in the city.
Technical Requirements
Might require scent diffusion equipment, along with access to standard electrical outlets.
The spatial configuration can be adjusted based on the available exhibition layout.
Project Status & Timeline
This is a new proposal currently in the research and development phase, with core data sources and conceptual framing identified. The project is designed to be lightweight and adaptable, and can be completed and installed within the exhibition timeline.