@ericbutter 2022 Would it be interesting to ask what is the impact of TikTok on humanity? TikTok was designed to promote disinformation, the content runs so fast that the absorption of any kind of knowledge becomes impossible, and reflection stops existing, we swipe in modus operandi , but the memories never get out of the smartphone. From the spring of the river, generalized ideas of complex problems are born, and as the river flows, systematically, the dramatization increases, and the ideas get simpler and simpler until they flow into a sea of silly, massified, and distorted ideas. TikTok is an incubator for Narcissus and just like Narcissus, in the lake, we will drown in our reflection, the only difference is that Narcissus was a subject and not something banal and objectifiable. I'm not saying that the sense of community was lost among the swipes, I would even say that we never had lived in such a collectivist world dictated by the trends of social networks, but what we can't deny is that we live in the hegemony of collective narcissism and an individualistic culture addicted to quick and easy hedonism. We, who show off what we have and what we don't have, create a toxic world, but brighter and more beautiful, we care more about our image than about ourselves, but we forget that images are just images. And thus, a discrepant chasm is created between reality and the virtual world, almost oniric space, where, those who go there always return disappointed and sad.

Scented Life 2024 This project explores the relevance of scents to human life and the nuances of olfactory perception. Sc ents hold the essence of things and convey crucial information to hum ans. However, our contemporary world has overlook ed the sense of smell due to its emotional and intimate nature. Scented Life is a book and an installation that fills the space with four fragrances representing important olfactory moments from our past, each holding profound significance for our vital state as a means to celebrate our body odours. The project transcends the traditional boundaries of language by translating these fragrances into a captivating sound composition , which results from converting the molecular vibrations within the raw materials used in the fragrances and from a collaborative work, between Caetano and the talented musician Margardia Alves Gato, who translated their subjective and unique impressions of the fragrances into sound. Scented Life breathes life into the subjective and unique impressions of the fragrances, creating a harmonious blend of scent and sound.

Nothing is happiness 2021 A contemplative two-minute video manifesto that explores the philosophy of detachment as a pathway to happiness. Rooted in the principles of ataraxia and inspired by the fleeting nature of existence, the video reflects on the human tendency to desire, possess, and cling. It invites the audience to embrace simplicity, impermanence, and the joy of "being" rather than "having." Created using a combination of found footage from the internet and scenes from movies that resonate with the theme, the video weaves a thoughtful narrative that challenges materialism and celebrates inner peace and gratitude for life's transient moments. Manifesto I believe the main thing in our life is to achieve happiness. I think that detachment can be a way. We must learn to enjoy the little moments and be grateful for them. As Horacio said, Carpe diem. We have to live detached and accept everything has its beginning and end and is transitory. The desire and despair for goods is a mistake. We will enjoy what we have and not despair because we always want more. Is there anything more bizarre than wanting money? Nobody wants money for money. Money is a means to an end. We don't need anything if not what is necessary to live, having mental and physical health. I understand that we desire objects and that we want them, but this dependence is not healthy because our happiness becomes dependent on the goods we have or do not have. I look for ataraxia, the tranquillity of not wanting to own anything. We were once nomadic and detached but, why is it so difficult now to be so again? Let go of the addictions to have more freedom. I live without worries and desires and do not look for passions. Feelings are volatile and flexible. The people we love can disappear at any time. We are living, and people come and go. I don't live looking for anyone but myself. I don't want life to love me but want to love life. We have to love ourselves and spread love around the world. I don't understand what loneliness is. Are we not always with ourselves? I believe in apathy, don't let myself drown in chaotic passion, and don't stick to carnivorous relationships. I live with a lot of emotion and enjoy it, but I accept its end and death, life is momentary, and nothing can interfere with our happiness. Happiness is always inside of us. I am always open and our possibilities. I live without expectations to not create disappointments, I don't have a direction, and I like to wander. We have to embrace the unforeseen and live by chance. It is essential to have life goals, to be prepared for the future, and try to anticipate any discomfort we could have. But we must be prepared for misfortune because the only certainty is death. Whatever happens, we have to be resilient and live with ataraxia. We cannot change the past so, I think it will always be unnecessary to suffer for what cannot be changed. We don't want to suffer, but we want to learn from the past to be happier in the present. I believe that we have always had to look for the positive in each situation. I am grateful for my privileges. I like to do nothing, to stay with me on my body, in a warm place, without noise, visual and olfactory pollution. At this moment, I am happy, and do not think about anything, I taste the happiness of doing nothing, letting go of my body, my mind, and myself. I zoom out, and I can get a clear impression of myself. I let my tastes, my knowledge, and my values go. I resign to observing nature, the universe, and nothing. I am not a person, am not dependent on myself, I'm just a happy nothing.

Deep breath research Chemosynthetic bacteria Hydrothermal vents Deep Breath scent Origins of olfaction Sources Be aware that this research is not scientific or universally true, but rather a compendium of ideas and views that can possibly estimate fantasies. Video courtesy of Ocean Observatories Initiative. (2024) Galibert F, Azzouzi N. Are the Olfactory Receptors Present at the Sperm Membrane Involved in Reproduction? Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jul 10;24(14):11277. doi: 10.3390/ijms241411277. PMID: 37511035; PMCID: PMC10379156. McGee, H. (2020). Nose dive: a field guide to the world’s smells. New York, Penguin Press. Ghos, P. Ghosh (2017). Earliest evidence of life on Earth 'found'. Science correspondent, BBC News. Drake, N. (2017). This May Be the Oldest Known Sign of Life on Earth. science article, National Geographic. Pluznick J. (2016). You smell with your body, not just your nose Dodd MS, Papineau D, Grenne T, Slack JF, Rittner M, Pirajno F, O'Neil J, Little CT. Evidence for early life in Earth's oldest hydrothermal vent precipitates. Nature. 2017 Mar 1;543(7643):60-64. doi: 10.1038/nature21377. PMID: 28252057. Image courtesy of Submarine Ring of Fire 2006 Exploration, NOAA Vents Program Martin W, Russell MJ. On the origins of cells: a hypothesis for the evolutionary transitions from abiotic geochemistry to chemoautotrophic prokaryotes, and from prokaryotes to nucleated cells. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2003 Jan 29;358(1429):59-83; discussion 83-5. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2002.1183. PMID: 12594918; PMCID: PMC1693102. Huber REder W, Heldwein S, Wanner G, Huber H, Rachel R, Stetter KO.1998.Thermocrinis ruber gen. nov., sp. nov., a Pink-Filament-Forming Hyperthermophilic Bacterium Isolated from Yellowstone National Park. Appl Environ Microbiol64:.https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.64.10.3576-3583.1998

Deep breath research Chemosynthetic bacteria Hydrothermal vents Deep Breath scent Origins of olfaction Sources Origins of Olfaction "You smell with your body, not just your nose" Sense of smell and scenting The sense of smell, or olfaction is the ability to detect and identify chemicals and molecules in the environment through an olfactory system. This sensory capability allows organisms to perceive odors, which are essentially chemical compounds in the air. At its core, smelling is scenting and interpreting the chemical composition of the surroundings. Scenting is fundamentally about detecting and responding to environmental stimuli through our sensory system. The verb "to scent" is derived from the Old French "sentir" and the Latin "sentire " which means "to feel" or "to perceive". The evolution of the sense of smell is a series of adaptations and changes over millions of years, from chemoreceptors to the olfactory system and the sense of smell. Chemosynthesis It is hypothesized that the earliest forms of life may have emerged in extreme environments, such as near hydrothermal vents, around 4 billion years ago, shortly after the formation of Earth's oceans. In these environments, iron and sulfide compounds precipitated on the sea floor, potentially providing the necessary conditions for life's emergence. These early organisms likely relied on chemosynthesis. Chemosynthesis is the process by which certain organisms produce energy from chemical reactions involving inorganic molecules like hydrogen sulfide or ferrous iron. These primitive life forms depended on chemoreceptors to identify crucial elements like iron and sulfur minerals, which they used as catalysts for metabolic processes in anaerobic environments. One example of these organisms is sulfur bacteria, which use chemosynthesis to metabolize sulfur compounds such as hydrogen sulfide for anaerobic respiration and energy generation. Some of these microorganisms and biochemical systems are still found today in environments such as hydrothermal vents and even within organisms like us. Olfactory receptors As organisms evolved and developed egg cells, chemoreceptors diverged and evolved to form more sophisticated sensory functions such as olfactory receptors. These specialized olfactory receptors emerged, enabling single cells, such as the human spermatozoa to detect chemicals in their surroundings as they navigate towards ligands released by the egg cell. This adaptation allowed sperm cells to sense and respond to hormones lignads, released by the egg cell, guiding them towards the egg cell. As simple nervous systems emerged, early fish or arthropods developed specialized olfactory organs or antennae to detect and interpret chemical signals. And over time, olfactory systems evolved to become more specialized and sophisticated, as animals diversified into various ecological niches. Olfactory system Animals developed specific organs like the olfactory epithelium in mammals' nasal cavities, and specialized receptor cells evolved to detect a wide range of odour molecules. The brain adapted by developing an olfactory bulb and cortex to receive and process signals from these receptors, enabling organisms to perceive and distinguish between different odours. In the case of humans, babies begin to form olfactory neurons, establishing their olfactory system in the womb. This early development allows them to detect and become familiar with nutrients from their mother's diet, facilitating recognition of both their mother and her breast milk through their sense of smell after birth. While the principles of chemoreception remain consistent across organisms, the evolution of specialized sensory organs and neural circuits led to the development of our complex sense of smell. The distinction between a sense of smell and other forms of chemical detection can be subtle, the nuances lie in the complexity of the sensory mechanisms involved, making chemoreceptors the precursors of the sense of smell. If we consider the five classic senses, the sense of smell ought to be one of the oldest, because the earliest forms of life were likely using chemosensors from at least 3.5 billion years ago .

Scented Life Sounds 2024 This sound piece, composed by the talented musician Margarida Alves Gato and I, is the translation of four fragrances . The composition considers the complexity and difficulty of describing odours through words and seeks different ways of communicating olfactory impressions, one way less imbued in cultural constraints and another that acknowledges our cultural biases. Olfactory experiences seem to have many crossmodal associations with hearing, for example, people often link bass sounds to base notes (resins), and tremble sounds to top notes (citrus), these enigmatic interplay between sounds and smells has intrigued researchers for quite some time and remains unexplained still. These crossmodal associations are shaped by a variety of factors, each providing different insights into different associations, but it's essential to note they are not merely metaphorical or arbitrary and go beyond subjective judgment. With this in mind, the sound piece was composed by using two translation methods: The first method attempts to develop a language independent of our cultural background and speculates upon the Vibrational Theory of Luca Turin. Considering Luca Turin's theory is correct and that we can perceive odorant molecules due to their molecular vibration, I took the molecular vibration of the raw materials that make up the four fragrances and converted them into audible sine waves. Hear below the sound waves of the raw materials used in the composition of the fragrances. The second method takes into consideration the enigmatic crossmodal association between sound and smell and embraces our biases and cultural belief systems as a means to acknowledge the complexity of describing odours. In collaboration with Margardia Alves Gato, we have translated our subjective and unique impressions of the four fragrances into sounds, taking different instruments, timbres, rhythms and melodies. I leave open the question of whether some of the associations that Margarida and I had could be universal to all cultures or whether they are restricted to our Western cultures, unfortunately, the major and predominant culture in odour description nowadays. The complex final sound piece is a combination of the two methods and pictures an overall impression of the odours. Leaving space for a more methodological and scientific alternative and a more subjective and emotional approach.

Invisible Lives In Between Life and Death 2022 Looking At Nature On Different Scales Finding Similarities Between Things What do human artefacts look like under the microscope? What happens to yeast when food starts fermenting? How is the life of our body periphery? What kind and how many insects do we kill in our houses? And what are the relations between all these questions? Insect Spit Hair Ear wax Nail Death skin Nose mucus Sperm Loquat wine Elderflower syrup Fermentad grapes Mold Paper bag Transparent plastic bag Sandwich packaging with an insect White plastic bag Blue plastic bag Insect Spit Hair Ear wax Nail Death skin Nose mucus Sperm Loquat wine Elderflower syrup Fermentad grapes Mold Paper bag Transparent plastic bag Sandwich packaging with an insect White plastic bag Blue plastic bag Everything relates to each other at some point and at a certain level. A plastic bag is one plastic bag but is also a combination of bacteria, air, void, paint, and many other things that we don’t consider. Are all this group of stuff that forms the plastic bag constituents of it, or are they the plastic bag itself? In Ontological reductionism, everything is composed of simples. Simples are the tiniest things that can’t be decomposed and subdivided. A plastic bag is just a combination of simples arranged in a certain way, just like an insect is a combination of simples arranged in a certain way. Can we define a clear line between a plastic bag and an insect? Does the plastic bag even exist? If we agree that it is just a combination of simples, what happens if we remove some simples from it? We didn’t eliminate the plastic bag, and it still has the same properties, but can we still consider it a plastic bag? Probably everything composes something bigger and something smaller at some point. Can we say that we are an individual? We are composed of different organisms that form bigger organisms. We are made of air but is the air that we breathe part of us, or are we part of air? The air that gives life will transform at some point and kill us. There is no individuality nor collectivism, just a combination of different stuff, trogs. Our reality is based on Trogs that we created, but what if we had organized things differently and seen different connections between things? For example, is there something else between a nail and a piece of hair besides themselves? Just because we don’t have a name for that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Our definitions of things are just one way to cut up the plastic reality, they represent made-up symbols within a specific context, but they don’t exist beyond us. They are just concepts. Any assortment of things will compose a thing no matter if we acknowledge it or not. How our understanding of alive defines the idea of biological equity? "Nothing can be transformed into another nature without having been previously converted into ash, lime or earth." Nodo Sophico Enodato

Deep Breath 2024 Deep Breath is a spatial scent that transports us back to the deep sea. The first forms of life on the planet are believed to have lived in the deepest depths of the ocean. These micro-organisms, our earliest ancestors, can be found inside the rocks of hydrothermal vents. Chemoreceptors, or primordial sensors, enable them to survive in this harsh environment filled with sulfur compounds and other substances toxic to most organisms. As they moved into new environments, their receptors evolved into complex systems, allowing them to breathe oxygen and smell their environment, like we do. Deep Breath reminds us of the importance of our olfactory receptors and of just how interconnected we are with all life forms on this planet. Read more about Deep Breath here. Purchase - Deep Breath Eau de Parfum here PRESS KIT

Locus Amoenus 2023 A digital representation of a dream place. A world of eternal inner peace, where lovers dance freely and bless each other with juicy fruits and fortune. Music: Proteus - A Nineteenth Century Vision by Yuval Ron

Deep breath research Chemosynthetic bacteria Hydrothermal vents Deep Breath scent Origins of olfaction Sources Deep breath scent Dive into the boiling deep dark sea. Deep Breath is an aquatic fragrance with a flitting sulfuric note from the bottom of the ocean, immersed in a marine ozone heart that lingers a pacific and soothing fresh sea at the base. The main ingredient of the Deep Breath is the most abundant molecule in the sea, emitted into the air by aquatic life, Dimethyl sulfide, or DMS. Dimethyl sulfide is at the heart of the sea’s smell. And it’s there as a byproduct of the mechanism that algae evolved to deal with the saltiness of seawater. DMS resembles another sulfuric molecule, a simpler molecule called hydrogen sulfide, which is the key ingredient that sustains life under the sea in the hydrothermal vents, where life might have started. Sulfuric molecules might even be just a few of several elements that played an important role in life’s boiling beginnings, but they were prominent enough to mark some of the oldest rocks thought to carry traces of biological metabolism. Deep Breath is a journey through the evolution of life and it shows how what might be toxic for us now was once central to our lives. It goes from the depths of the ancient sea, where rocks came to life to the surface of the water of our present days.

Living Donut 2020 A ceramic piece designed to grow chia seeds on its surface using the water absorption properties of ceramics. Living Donut questions how we live in balance with other species and how we take care of them. The living donut is an expression of my biophilia for plants and fertility, it is an invitation to reconnect with nature. The word fertility comes from the Latin, ferre (to bear, to transport), and just like the Living Donut, we need to have the strength to bear and transport life.