The Fall 2026 Graduate Art guest lecture series, organized by Jan Tumlir and Jack Bankowsky.

Sean Raspet

This event is free and open to the public. RSVPs are not required.

Sean Raspet has been working with scent and molecular structure for over 10 years. He is a cofounder of Patina, an olfactory molecule design startup that is creating the “RGB colorspace” for the sense of smell. Raspet holds patents on a number of the molecules he has developed, using the legal-administrative patent system as the primary site where the molecule works are presented to the public. Previously, he worked in research and development at Soylent, where several of his formulations were absorbed into the product line. In addition, he was a co-founder of Nonfood, an algae-based food company. His work operates outside the specialized art economy, in the mass economy, where new materials circulate at industrial scale.

Raspet’s work has been exhibited at the Okayama Art Summit (directed by Pierre Huyghe); Tai Kwun Contemporary Art Centre, Hong Kong, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; de Young Museum, San Francisco; M Woods Museum, Beijing; the 9th Berlin Biennale; Bridget Donahue, New York; Société, Berlin; Various Small Fires, Los Angeles; Empty Gallery, Hong Kong; Sculpture Center, New York; and The Kitchen, New York; among others.

Image: Courtesy of the artist.

See the full Fall 2026 Seminar schedule here.

Support for this series is generously provided by the following: Jack Shear, Brenda R. Potter, Brendan Dugan, Lisson Gallery, Beth Rudin DeWoody, David Kordansky, Jeffrey Deitch, Gattopardo, Tara Walters, Alan Hergott, and an anonymous donor.

ArtCenter's Graduate Art program is based on intensive studio practice and rigorous academic coursework. The program is distinguished by its low faculty-to-student ratio that provides students with the attention and feedback they need to refine and achieve their artistic goals. Faculty and students are artists working in all genres—film, video, photography, painting, sculpture, performance and installation. A significant number of alumni have achieved national and international acclaim and often return to share their insights and expertise as visiting faculty and guest lecturers.