Gezelligheid and Other Character Flaws

In conjunction with his inaugural lecture on tolerance and immunology, Dr. Berent Prakken organized an evening of interdisciplinary lectures on the theme of tolerance with contributions from Tom Dommisse, philosopher, Jan Lokin, professor of Roman Law, Tijs Goldschmidt, biologist/writer, Maarten van Rossem, professor of modern history. My contribution was a piece called, Gezelligheid and Other Character Flaws. Gezelligheid is a distinctly Dutch word that describes the ideal social or cultural setting: warm, cozy and inclusive. (It stands to reason there is no adequate English translation.) In lieu of a conventional lecture, I created a single channel video with an olfactory component that included fifty micro-dispensors containing synthetic and natural fragrance components which were released by audience members during the video.