For Zhengová, the search began in 2022, when she made the radical decision to leave her studio in The Hague without fully understanding why. She only knew she did not feel happy. She moved to Amsterdam instead, drifting nomadically from place to place. These circumstances allowed her to open herself to new energies and encounters: affective exchanges with strangers, fleeting and pure moments. Since then, she has crossed geographical borders in pursuit of happiness, hovering on the thin line between sanity and madness. In this quest for joy, she presents a contradiction: an intangible idea meant for reflection.
The crux of the project lies in her interactions with strangers, gathering their impressions of happiness through spontaneous conversations. By beginning with the phrase Maybe, Happiness Is…, she invites others to share their views while documenting her own evolving definition. This fluid, collaborative process intertwines her internal dialogue with shared human experience.
The project shifted the focus of her artistic practice toward process rather than outcome. Her research weaves together personal reflections, diaristic entries, and influences from Adlerian psychology and existential philosophy. Together, these elements question whether happiness can be universally defined or whether it remains an elusive, deeply personal construct.
Linda Zhengová
Linda Zhengová is a Czech-Chinese photographer, writer, and curator based in Paris. Her work is rooted in an exploration of human emotions, ranging from vulnerability and trauma to the search for happiness. Through photography and interdisciplinary methods, she strives to capture fleeting emotional states, the intimate connections between strangers, and personal transformation.
Her imagery, evocative of a bygone era, suggests that memory is the space where love most vividly resides. By confronting viewers with moments of vulnerability and intimacy, her work invites a deep reflection on the intensity of human relationships. Through this, Zhengová challenges us to reconsider how we connect with both ourselves and others, offering a delicate balance between discomfort and empathy.
