Putting a smile on your face
Stuart Semple’s Happy Clouds are being released as part of First Fortnight, an annual arts-and-music festival that tackles mental illness prejudice.
Semple, who is one of Britain’s most gifted and original contemporary artists, was inspired to create Happy Clouds when the global recession hit in 2008. He thought that by springing 2,057 pink, smiley-faced clouds into the sky it might cheer up punters going about their day. He tried the stunt in London first — outside the Tate Modern — and, because it received such a warm response it has toured around the world to cities like Milan, Sydney, and now Ireland.
