EXPANDED PRACTICE    

Happiness Pasture 
                        
Sihan Wang & Yikun Li
@siiiiihan.w 
@lilililiyk

Happiness Pasture is a conceptual design project exploring the quantification and manipulation of contemporary happiness. It transforms the pursuit of happiness into a digital pastoral experiment: users record their emotions to feed four animals symbolising distinct happiness models—chickens (instant gratification), ox (achievement through effort), pigs (consumer satisfaction), and sheep (compliant stability). As the system's guidance deepens, these animals gradually mutate, revealing the absurdity of happiness being algorithmised and structured within digital society. Through a gentle game format, the project satirises ‘designed happiness’ and invites people to reconsider: what constitutes their own authentic happiness.