2nd edition of the International Minute of scents, June 10th at 10:06 a.m.

Published on 06/05/2025, 12:21 PM

The "International Minute of scents" (2nd edition) invites everyone to take a minute to reconnect with their sense of smell on Tuesday, June 10th, 2025, at 10:06 a.m.

The goal is to encourage the general public to become aware of the importance of a sense that is too often overlooked.

The goal is also to raise awareness about anosmia (absence of sense smell).

Participants are asked to identify a smell around them, describe their experience on a card, and send it to the organization initiating the project.

These olfactory impression cards will then be exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts in Rouen, France.

minute of scents

June 10th at 10:06 a.m.: International Minute of Smells
A participatory event organized from France

Highlighting a Too Often Neglected Sense

For the 2^nd edition of the International Minute of Smells, Atmo Normandie (Normandy Air Quality Observatory) invites the public to take a minute to reconnect with their sense of smell. Rarely emphasized, smell is nevertheless an essential sense: it influences memory and emotions, and is a fundamental tool for understanding the outside world.

Through this initiative, Atmo Normandie aims to help the general public become aware of the importance of smell and its central role in our relationship with the environment and our health.

How to participate?

“Breathe, feel, write”

June 10th at 10:06 a.m.

To participate in the event, open to all, in France and abroad, simply:

1. Go outside and take a minute to smell your surroundings.
2. Write down your impressions on a 10x15 cm record card or on plain paper: smell, feeling, memory, emotion, etc.
3. Write your first name, age, and the location where the smell was noticed on the back.
4. Send the card to: Atmo Normandie, 3 place de la Pomme d’Or, 76000 Rouen, France

The cards received will constitute a collection of olfactory impressions, which will be exhibited at the Rouen Museum of Fine Arts (musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen).

A sensory and poetic experience

Under the patronage of writer Mathieu Simonet, this initiative is above all an exercise in sensitive writing, which involves both emotion and imagination. Everyone is free to share their impressions in whatever form they see fit.

"When Atmo Normandie contacted me, I was immediately fascinated by this world of scents, which I knew little about. Writing about a scent is a bit like writing about your dreams. It's very difficult to write about your dreams because you have to remember them; you feel like they're on the tip of your tongue. It's very romantic," confides Mathieu Simonet.

Raising public awareness about smell disorders

Approximately 10% of the population suffers from olfactory disorders, including 5% with anosmia (total loss of the sens of smell).

This 2025 edition is an opportunity for Atmo Normandie to support the Anosmie.org association, which advocates for the implementation of a smell test for children. Early detection would allow for better support and improve the quality of life of people with anosmia. Every year, World Anosmia Day, which takes place on February 27, serves as a reminder that this is a real disability.

A look back at the 2024 edition

Following the first edition of the International Minute of Smells, 1,211 impressions from 10 countries, including France, but also Suriname, Togo, Canada, and Jordan, were sent to Atmo Normandie.

They were the subject of an exhibition in Rouen, France, which has since become a traveling exhibition.

Examples from the 2024 edition

SEE SAMPLE CARDS

Learn more : www.atmonormandie.fr/article/la- minute-internationale-des-odeurs-2025

To follow and relay on social networks with #LaMinuteinternationaledesodeurs

About Atmo Normandie

Atmo Normandie is the state-approved association to monitor, inform, and support stakeholders throughout Normandy regarding ambient air quality.

Atmo Normandie has also made it its mission to take into account the olfactory perception of its fellow citizens, thanks to residents trained in "Le langage des Nez®."

Atmo Normandie is a member of the Atmo France Federation.

Site: www.atmonormandie.fr/

#LaMinuteinternationaledesodeurs
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Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjd1Z1cdqvc

Press contact

Christelle Bellanger - Communication manager
+33 6 89 33 91 91
christelle.bellanger@atmonormandie.fr

Press release published by Bellanger Cristelle
Published on 06/05/2025, 12:21 PM on 24presse.com
Bellanger Cristelle
Atmo Normandie

www.atmonormandie.fr/article/international-minute-scents-2025-english-version
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