Ministry of Happiness
Ministry of Happiness
GDP and continuous growth as a measure of development is a capitalist construct which is no longer compatible with the challenges of climate change and social inequality we face. Progressive societies are starting to value measures of happiness and well-being as the alternative measure of success. This projects imagines a new Ministry of Happiness and Wellbeing for London, in one of the most prominent of locations, the Serpentine Lake, which signifies the importance of which a progressive new future society might hold such values.
GDP and continuous growth as a measure of development is a capitalist construct which is no longer compatible with the challenges of climate change and social inequality we face. Progressive societies are starting to value measures of happiness and well-being as the alternative measure of success. This projects imagines a new Ministry of Happiness and Wellbeing for London, in one of the most prominent of locations, the Serpentine Lake, which signifies the importance of which a progressive new future society might hold such values.
Our society is heavily influenced by aspirational lifestyles portrayed through various forms of media. This project began with an examination of architectures created for reality television. Big brother alone ran for 20 years and in over 40 countries. This led to a test installation to explore my ideas and in parallel my thesis focused on domesticity and privacy. The final project revolves around how we give up our privacy and allow others to watch us. The Un-Private Mansion is a Human Zoo where people (social media celebrities) wait in line to reside in for fame and luxury in exchange of their privacy. The mansion is equipped with cameras which broadcast their private lives to the public. Visitors can roam around the mansion where they are able to watch into the resident’s daily lives – like the social media. The project culminates in a film which extrapolates observable behaviours in our current society, portraying a unique and potentially disturbing building in a near future Camden. The project is a statement to what society is sleepwalking into.