Female identity has long been constructed through imposed archetypes rather than lived realities. The Scent of Babylon examines the historical tendency to reduce womanhood to opposing extremes and how these constructions continue to shape contemporary perceptions of women.

The exhibition is a multi-sensory project bringing together photography and video by Andy Go, paintings by Anna Kiparis, and a scent from Dor Olfactory. Curated by Alexandra Dolgosheina.

Centred around the contrast between two enduring archetypes — the Virgin Mary and the Whore of Babylon — the exhibition approaches them not as opposites, but as two poles of the same constructed identity. Rather than positioning these figures against one another, the project explores how they have been reinforced and elevated to absolutes across religious narratives, art history, and collective consciousness.

Drawing on iconic cultural references that have shaped and reshaped the image of women — from the femme fatale Salome, to the monstrous Medusa, the courtesan of Olympia, and the threatening figure of Lilith — the exhibition reflects on how female identity has often been projected onto women, rather than shaped by their lived and historical realities.

A series of paintings by Anna Kiparis centres on this tension. Revealed only in fragments — a face, a pair of hands as if enclosed within an icon frame — the figures are submerged in red, suspended between their own subjectivity and the roles imposed upon them. They remain unresolved presences, resisting fixed definition.

Alongside the paintings by Anna Kiparis, the exhibition includes photo and video works by Andy Go. The moving images are projected onto the ceiling and walls of St John's Church, Hyde Park, capturing two female figures gradually dissolving into one another, reflecting the instability of the Madonna–Whore narrative. The location was selected for its symbolic resonance with the project’s themes.

Overall, the exhibition brings together 13 works, referencing Babylon.

The chosen scent, Legno Sacro by Dor Olfactory, functions as a sensory counterpoint to the visual works. Its composition explores the tension between a sacred, meditative atmosphere and a more tactile, sensual character. The concept evokes the warm interior of a church as a ritual space, where incense-like woods and resins create a sense of stillness and contemplation.

The one-day exhibition includes a performance by Anna Kiparis and Alexandra Dolgosheina. Throughout the evening, the performers move through the space while bound together by red mesh fabric. The distance between them allows for movement, but prevents full separation. The performance reflects on the coexistence of imposed roles and the exhaustion of carrying identities that are not self-defined.