Dane Mitchell's Iris, Iris, Iris considers the entanglement of our senses, specifically the ocular and the olfactory. The iris in its multiple forms – as plant, as body part, as technology, as myth – is employed as a poetic device to make connections between two ways we encounter the world: through the eye and through the nose.

Iris, Iris, Iris is the result of recent research into scent production, from traditional Japanese incense to the latest fragrance technologies. The multi-part installation explores diverse meanings of the word ‘iris:’ the name of a flower, the coloured part of an eye, the adjustable aperture of a camera and Greek mythology’s rainbow goddess. It features aroma molecule extraction technology, combining the ‘invisible’ materials of incense and perfume with items related to the act of seeing.

Iris, Iris, Iris was curated by Zara Stanhope, former Head of Curatorial, Auckland Art Gallery, and Mami Kataoka, Chief Curator, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo.

The exhibition was co-commissioned by Auckland Art Gallery and Mori Art Museum, with support from Creative New Zealand’s Asia/New Zealand Co-commissioning Fund. Production support was kindly provided by Shoyeido Incense Co. and Takasago International Corporation. Additional support for the Auckland exhibition was provided by Auckland Art Gallery’s Contemporary Benefactors.