The Happiness Project [Analog]

Childhood memories are some of the most precious keepsakes to hold dear to your heart—especially as you grow up. Sometimes you have to remind yourself how it felt to be a kid, and memories from your adolescence can help you do just that. Whether it’s remembering something that made you smile or brought out the happiest part of you, certain childhood memories just stick with you for a lifetime.

This project aims to bring out the fond memories of childhood by recovering a common childhood that many kids have- colourful balls. In the world today, people are too cope up in their own circle of thoughts and so stressed with life that we tend to forgets the little bits of life we are actually thankful to have.

Connections, love, toys, justice, clothing, a house and many more…

We are equipped with so many things that some people in the world are not lucky to have. These are the things they thought to be happiness while we are taking it for granted. Hence, through this small installation, I would like my audience to stop and reflect on their own happiness for awhile.

I have placed my objects on water to signify something intangible while attaching them to reels situated on the land. This shows that while we tend to ignore the possesions of these objects we are entitled of, we can actually “reel” them in at an instant touch.

 

Analog Project Pitch

H A P P I N E S S

This project aims to ponder over the topic of What is Happiness?

This idea came to me when I couldn’t finish my lunch one day and I had a sudden thought about the kids in Africa (as cliche as it sounds) not being able to have access to food and starving at the same time. They would be so happy now if they were able to meet ends meet but people who had their basic needs satisfied are often chasing after materialistic wants and things they do not have. This often leaves us disgruntled and unhappy.

Bruce Munro

I was also very much inspired by this British artist, Bruce Munro who used 65000 recycled cds to create this “waterlilies” piece. The installation mirrors the ever-changing hues of the surrounding landscape, hence, this installation is best viewed by day.

The definition of happiness varies among each individual and we often tend to overlook the little things in life that we might be taking granted for. For example, we have food readily available to our convenience but not many people in the world. We are pampered with toys by our parents when we were young, but yet again, there are kids who are less fortunate to have toys to play with. The connectivity to people we have round the clock but not to people in North Korea who would want to contact their long lost families in South Korea but aren’t able to due to their country’s regime.

Project Pitch

Image result for plastic balls

Whenever we thought of these colourful plastic balls, the first connotation will be kids playing happily in it. Even for adults, these balls produce happy vibes and many people even adults would naturally smile at the memories with these balls. Therefore, using these balls as a medium, I would like to bring a little happiness to the people in school.

At the same time, I would like to remind people about the subtle things we are taking for granted everyday that there are people in other parts of the world holding these things dear to them and cherish the opportunity to have access to these items.

Hence, I would be creating these items as shown below through the colourful plastic balls and be placing them on the adm sunken plaza. The subtility of the floating objects also shows the intangible yet omnipresent connection and power with have over these objects.

I would also be adding reels for more interactivity and to emphasize my point of our easy access to these items.

Image result for toy reels

Hence, I decided to create a project for people to ponder over the topic of Happiness.