The Happy Show

The World Happiness Report, a survey of the state of global happiness, has been published every year since 2011 by the UN and each year Denmark ranks highly, including winning the coveted Happiest in the World in 2013 and 2016. The Happy Show is a voyage through what Denmark is and what happiness means to us today. The images contained in this project are observations of Danish society from without and within. They show the facade of suburban life, detailing rites and everyday manners, from confirmation parties, groups for young Catholics and music festivals, to nudist camping and Danes on holiday in their own country. But it pierces through the layers to uncover the life behind those tall walls of green leaves protecting the privacy of the Danish home, showing the family life, the rituals of marriage and celebrating elderly people’s birthdays. The resulting image is of a happy, spontaneous, genuine, friendly and sometimes eccentric people.

Giulia Mangione (1987) is a visual artist and documentary photographer exploring notions of nationality, identity and belonging in suburban areas in Scandinavia. She has studied photojournalism at DMJX (DK) and holds an MA in American Literature & Culture from Goldsmiths (UK). Her work has been published and exhibited internationally. She is currently working at a new long-term documentary project and teaching photography at the Florence University of the Arts.