Words by Smiley Team
With social distancing still in place and lockdown tensions continuing to rise, for Mayfair Arts weekend artist Amy Broch has created a multi-sensory art installation with the ethos of creating joy bombs, an artistic equivalent to photo bombing. Broch’s installations embrace possibility and hope through invoking a sense of joy and humour in an otherwise turbulent world.
JOY Bomb London creates site-specific interactive installations that transform ordinary spaces into mini-worlds – playful explosions of sunny, squishy, furry, rainbow-filled delights. The artist draws from childhood nostalgia, pop culture and the irreverent contents of her shimmering, candy-coated brain. Her work provides opportunities to explore, connect and laugh.
Many Scientists believe that a good laugh is like a break for your brain; it can restore hope and revive optimism. JOY Bomb London’s creative mission is to celebrate FUN for FUN’s sake and to make memorable moments happy ones.
JOY Bomb London was created by whimsical gangster and emerging conceptual artist Amy Broch after her husband Sean’s 2018 ALS diagnosis. Immediately, the couple began exploring every treatment available in order to treat and slow the progression of the disease. Learning that happiness was linked to better treatment outcomes and longevity for ALS patients was a big moment. Suddenly, the colourful, playful installations Amy had been creating and experimenting with for years had a greater significance.
Proceeds from every installation support the Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS. It is the largest hospital-based research program in the world and supports early stage trials of promising ALS treatments.
“My artwork aims to provide a therapeutic release for people, each and every day is important, and I would like to make people as happy as possible - I build my joy bombs with the aim of filling people’s hearts with tiny joy drops”. said Amy Broch:
Joy Bomb London is a product of Illuminate Productions, a non-profit art organisation who comission and create contemporary art in unusual yet accessible environments, with direct public interaction. Over the past 15 years they have commissioned, curated and produced more then 250 exhibitions and events.
Currently, Illuminate Productions are developing Feel-Good Experience, which sets out to banish negativity and excite the senses. Visitors will be invited to journey through a series of interactive and joyful multi-sensory art installations designed to enhance wellbeing and connectivity. The project will engage the hard to reach, the difficult to engage and will offer the opportunity to take part in a positive creative experience.
One of the most projects include Scream the House Down by Marcus Lyall, an interactive, art installation designed for lockdown that invited members of the public to vocalise their inner frustrations to power a largescale light installation. PiP’s Plant Parlour by Mileece; a bio-reactive, plant-controlled mobile installation designed to open pathways to relaxation and emotional healing through nature, art and sound.
To find out more about visiting Joy Bomb London, you can head to https://www.artmap.london/event/joy-found-me-by-amy-broch
Caroline Jones, founder of Illuminate Productions, will be joining Smiley Movement for our virtual talk The Art of Science and Happiness. You can join in with the conversation on October 15th at 1pm BST.
