Museum Exhibition Asks Visitors To Rate Happiness By Gumball Machine

VANCOUVER -- The Museum of Vancouver is hosting an exhibition by critically acclaimed artist Stefan Sagmeister that explores what makes us happy. The Happy Show, running through Sept. 7, features an array of images, art installations and interactive exhibits.

A prominent part of the exhibition is an installation of 10 bulk vending machines that invite visitors to take a free gumball from the machine that best reflects their level of happiness on a scale of one to 10. The choice, of course, is immediately registered in the level of gumballs remaining in the machine. Not only does the choice give museum visitors something to chew on (and contemplate) while touring the exhibit, it also reveals the happiness level of others who attended the exhibit.

With the political season quickly approaching, it seems natural that savvy bulk vending operators will employ a similar polling device to engage consumers.

HOW HAPPY?One element of the Museum of Vancouver's Happy Show exhibition asks visitors to rate their happiness level on a one-to-10 scale using coin-operated gumball machines.