As part of Edition III – Masquerade, Sarah Pierce developed the ongoing installation The question would be the answer to the question, Are you happy?

The question… contains a host of interests that Sarah Pierce repeatedly engages with in her ongoing project The Metropolitan Complex such as archives, creating situations for debate to occur, and student activism. Shot last year in the Basque country, Sarah Pierce invited local students in art, sociology and politics to a screening of the original French version of Jean Rouch & Edgar Morin’s film Chronique d’un été with Spanish subtitles, followed by a roundtable discussion. The resultant film expresses Pierce’s longing for political and aesthetic engagement and critical debate, and refers to her belief in personal liberty and self-expression. It questions any societal obligation to appear happy and fustigates pressures, prescription and any repression of independent voice.

The question… was produced with a grant of The Arts Council of Ireland.