It's sometimes called, with affection, Smellbourne. Think freshly ground coffee, or champagne mingled with grass at the races. Perhaps a heady onslaught of sneeze-inducing pollen; a whiff of back-lane dumpster.

Berlin-based artist Sissel Tolaas will attempt to recreate the smell of Melbourne for the inaugural National Gallery of Victoria Triennial, which will take place next summer.

Alexandra Kehayoglou with her previous work, No Longer Creek. Credit:NGV

It's one of 20 commissions the gallery will acquire – along with another 30 already completed works – in what director Tony Ellwood says is a "profound legacy" for Australia's most visited gallery.

"Over a period of 20 or 30 years we will have established this extraordinary collection of art and design that should be internationally recognised," he said.