Ai Hisano

Project at the MaCI

October 2026 - July 2027

'This project examines the emergence of what I call “aesthetic capitalism”: a mode of capitalism that both relied upon and intensified aesthetic engagement with goods and environments. It analyzes how capitalist systems helped shape the very criteria through which sensory and emotional experiences came to be evaluated, normalized, and desired. In doing so, the project contributes to growing interdisciplinary scholarship on sensation, emotion, and modernity while offering a new perspective on the cultural logic of capitalism itself. It seeks to understand not only what kinds of sensations were cultivated, but also who participated in their production—and why—by examining, for example, the roles of designers, scientists, business consultants, and entrepreneurs.

At the University of Grenoble, I plan to conduct research on the cosmetic industry and the senses, with particular emphasis on olfaction. I hope to collaborate with scholars affiliated with the Laboratoire de Recherche Historique Rhône-Alpes and other research institutions and networks such as “Cosmethics.” I would also welcome opportunities to share my previous and current research with faculty members and students in the Grenoble community through workshops, seminars, and public talks.

I would greatly value the resources offered by MaCI, especially the opportunity to collaborate with scholars based in Grenoble. The University’s investment in sensory research and its interdisciplinary approach make it an ideal setting for my project. I also hope to take advantage of research materials available in Grenoble, including historical documents concerning cosmetics archived by Cosmethics in collaboration with the non-profit association Cosmétothèque.'

Ai Hisano is the author of scholarly articles and books in both English and Japanese on the history of the senses, the history of emotions, and business history. Her first book, Visualizing Taste: How Business Changed the Look of What You Eat (Harvard University Press, 2019), won the 2020 Hagley Prize in Business History from the Business History Conference and the 2020 Shimizu Hiroshi Book Award from the Japanese Association