Sweet Scent show ready to be revealed at Summerhall

IT HAS been one of the most hyped shows of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe despite its content being kept firmly under wraps - until today.

German artist Gregor Schneider’s powerful show at the Summerhall arts centre is said to tackle issues surrounding racism and slavery.

But venue managers believe the work, which the artist is refusing to discuss, is set to leave many audiences reeling.

It has been billed as potentially one of the most divisive works on the Fringe - which visitors will only be allowed to experience one at a time - and must leave after just five minutes.

Summerhall has warned potential visitors that it is only open to people over the age of 18 and includes nudity, but precious few details have been revealed since the work was announced in May.

The installation has been created in two hugely contrasting light and dark rooms and an empty corridor in the bowels of Edinburgh’s former vet school - which has promised festivalgoers a “deep intense experience.”

Critics are being urged not to give away the “reveal” of the installation in a bid to ensure it retains its impact throughout the Fringe.

Publicity material for the show - Sweet Scent - merely states: “Visitors enter the space alone and are emerged in an artwork that for many will be far from a comfortable experience but will also be unforgettable.”

Paul Robertson, exhibitions curator at Summerhall, said: “We are expecting the show to be very controversial.

“We don’t people to reveal too muh about it as the less you know beforehand the more impact it will have.”

Sweet Scent opens at Summerhall at 1pm today.