In 1972, Bhutan’s fourth king\u00a0Jigme Singe Wangchuck<\/a>\u00a0introduced a rather unique way of evaluating the country’s socio-economic prosperity. Based on Buddhist spiritual values, the nation’s success was based on the assessment of its “Gross National Happiness<\/a>“,<\/strong> instead of\u00a0“Gross National Product<\/a>“<\/strong>. <\/strong>In a quest to explore the country’s “Gross National Happiness”, Brooklyn-based internet artist and designer Jonathan Harris<\/a><\/strong> travelled to Bhutan in 2007 where he created Balloons of Bhutan<\/strong><\/a> –\u00a0a portrait of happiness in the last Himalayan kingdom.<\/p>\n

Harris spent two weeks handing out balloons to Bhutanese people consisting of students, professionals, farmers entrepreneurs and monks. His\u00a0website explores the catalogue of his 117 interviews which consisted of five questions:\u00a0what makes them happy, \u00a0what is their happiest memory, \u00a0what is their favourite joke, \u00a0what is their\u00a0level of happiness\u00a0between 1 and 10, and, if they could make one wish, what would it be. Based on\u00a0each person’s stated level of happiness, Harris\u00a0then inflated a certain number of balloons based on their level of happiness \u00a0(the happiest people gave 10 balloons, while the least happiest gave just one)\u00a0and took five photographs: them holding their balloons, a portrait, a funny face, their hands and them holding a balloon with their wish written on it.<\/p>\n

On the final night, all\u00a0117 wish balloons\u00a0were re-inflated and strung up at\u00a0Dochula<\/a>, a sacred mountain pass at 10,000 feet, leaving them to bob up and down in the wind, mingling with thousands of strands of prayer flags.<\/p>\n

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Watch Jonathan Harris’ exclusive TED Talk video below:<\/strong><\/p>\n