Sandra Spoo (born 1977)
My “beloved object” always carries me on an intense journey. If I sniff this small perfume bottle from Saudi Arabia, I am immediately transported to the souk in the middle of Jeddah. The heavy and intense scent takes me into a veiled world in which communication through eye contact could not have been more expressive, significant, or meaningful for me as a woman; it is a feeling so unfamiliar to our western eyes. As I wander through narrow alleys in warm temperatures, open sacks of spices and fruit stands exude their scents and aromas, gold glitters in shop windows, and the incomprehensible Arabic language overwhelms my ear. This small perfume bottle is like a treasure to me, and it still contains the scent of a longing to see distant places.