Foundation Kaaij Prinsengracht 237e1015 DT AmsterdamThe Netherlands

Godelieve Smulders0031640709832

Stephan Zeilemaker0031652066042

www.laughterlab.com

Design: Erik Wiebes, www.lemonpress.nl3D graphics: Martijn de Jong

Showing the magnificent, connecting and beautiful power of our common pre-language: Laughter. Technically, the world is ready for a giant global internet artwork. Laughs will be generated by the million and transported around the globe via the internet. Where there is no internet, our ambassadors will go to the ends of the earth to ask people to donate their laugh.

We are asking you to contribute to the lightest and largest art event in history. Meet the laughing faces.

AN iNviTATioN To PArTiciPATE iN A WorLDWiDE MoNuMENT

To LAuGhTEr. iN SyNErGy WiTh ThE oLyMPic GAMESAND oLyMPic ThouGhTS.

Laughter is our universal language, rising above cultural, religious and political polarization. Laughter unites us on our basic common ground; the pursuit of happiness, and the need to connect. No physical borders, no social barriers, no nonsense. Laughter shows humans at their best, united in body and mind, equal, connected to each other.

We ‘re aiming at the pure energy of laughter without reason, that will tickle and generate more laughter to keep the project rolling.The funny thing is…Laughter is by nature so terribly infectious that it multiplies by itself.We are building a monument, honouring the power of laughter through the power of laughter.

So...Laughter is the subject and the engine of our monument.

historically, art has been included in the games. We want to contribute to these great Games by creating a giant community art event. The olympics, where so many people from different countries, cultures and languages meet, form an outspoken platform to playfully share our basic nature through the common language of laughter. Every person, of whatever age or culture, can participate in person in the olympics through the sport of laughing. in the run up to and during the olympics, people from all continents will be invited to send their laughs through the internet and our own network of e-l@ugh stations, public spaces to the Laughter Arena in London. All laughs will be shown there, generating even more laughs from olympic visitors and athletes on the spot. A thousand golden laughs will be selected and made into an audiovisual composition by several artists, shown on music T.v. stations.

olympic charter olympism; olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.We agree with the olympism principals (seeking to create a way of life based on the joy of effort (we promote the joy of effort as well as the effort of joy), setting a good example by a positive attitude in life and advocating equality and all ethical principals.We applaud the Mission role of the ( ioc charter 2.`15); To encourage and support initiatives blending sport with culture and education!in the 19th century bronze statues of athletes were shown. Today we propose a multimedia art technology facilitating a worldwide art event through the internet, connecting people.

ArT iN SyNErGy WiTh ThE oLyMPic GAMES, A hiSToricAL MuST

To encourage and support initiatives blending sport with culture and education!

www.laughterlab.comSend your laugh directly to our internet site through your phone or computer. This site has all the facilities for receiving, showing and forwarding the laughter movies.

Ambassadors: coLLEcTiNG LAuGhTEr

Not all regions in the world are connected through the internet. in these regions, some parts of Africa, South America and Asia for example, we are going to send 1.000 volunteers ambassadors to collect laughs with mini-camcorders.

GENErATE LAuGhTEr

The high-tech quality e-l@ugh station is a transparent structure resembling a classic architectural arch that facilitates showing, recording, generating laughter. At least 2 e-l@ugh stations will be travelling around on each continent.

Attracted by the dynamic sound and colourful video images, you want to approach an e-l@ugh station you will then see an inviting, colourful and dynamic arch showing a continuous stream of laughing video images on its inside and outside walls. Please enter….

once inside you are totally submerged in an audiovisual laughter experience. inspired, you can record your own laughter and send it to other stations or friends and family. The state of the art audio-visual communication technology will be integrated into this monumental architectural sculpture of light, colour, sound and video.

After having operated for 3 months on 5 continents the total of 10 e-l@ugh stations will return to London to form a circle ; you can walk through the inside circular exhibition space or sit outside in the center and watch and hear the laughter all around you.Later on the arena can become a travelling exhibition space

LAuGhTEr ArENA

ThE E-L@uGh ArENA iS A coNSTrucTioN oF ALL ThE

rETurNED E-L@uGhSTATioNS SET iN A circLE ShoWiNG

MiLLioNS oF LAuGhS

WE WouLD LiKE To MAKE uSE oF ExiSTiNG PuBLic SPAcE FAciLiTiES LiKE LED BoArDS, rAiLWAy, SuBWAy STATioNS AND oThEr uTiLiTy BuiLDiNGS

LAuGhTEr iN ToWNPuBLic SPAcE

We need social networks to spread this art participation all over the world ,as the largest networks Together Facebook, Qzone and hi5 have more than 2 billion members. We will create a profile on these social sites and also ask the networks to participate actively by sending every member a message. Starting with dozens of laughs from friends and family and growing to contain more than 100 million laughs from people all over the world. our site www.laughterlab.com has all the facilities to cope with the expanding laughter adventure.

Facebook 350 miljoen (algemeen, wereldwijd)MySpace 245 miljoen (algemeen, vooral vS)Linkedin 50 miljoen (zakelijk, wereldwijd)Twitter 43 miljoen (algemeen, micro blogging) hyves 8 miljoen (algemeen Nederland)Flixster 63 miljoen (site om films te delen!)Flickr 33 miljoen (foto’s delen)BlackPlanet 20 miljoen (zwarte Amerikanen)care2 10 miljoen (groen leven, activisme)habbo 117 miljoen (tieners, vooral engelstalige landen)MyLife 51 miljoen (in contact blijven, vooral vS)Mixi 24 miljoen (algemeen, Japan)Multiply 10 miljoen (relaties, Azie)Myheritage 30 miljoen (families, vS)Nasza-klasa 11 miljoen (algemeen, Polen)odnoklassiki 40 miljoen (algemeen, rusland)orkut 67 miljoen (algemeen, Brazilie en india)Bigadda 3 miljoen (netwerken, india)Qzone 200 miljoen (algemeen, china)renren 15 miljoen (algemeen, china)Friendster 90 miljoen (algemeen populair in Zo Azie) Geni 15 miljoen (genealogie)lwiw 4 miljoen (algemeen, hongarije)imeem 24 miljoen (foto’s, video’s, muziekSonico 17 miljoen (algemeen, Zuid Amerika, Spanje)Tagged 70 miljoen (algemeen, controversieel ivm privacy)Tuenti 4.5 miljoen (algemeen, populair in Spanje)WAyN 10 miljoen (reizen en lifetsyle)hi5 80 miljoen (india, Mongolie, roemenie, central Africa, Zuid Amerika en JamaicaWindows Live 120 miljoen (algemeen, blogging)Grono 2 miljoen (algemeen Polen)xanga 27 miljoen (algemeen, vS, blogging)- Netlog 58 miljoen (algemeen Europa, Turkeije, Arabische landen) - tiply 10 miljoen (relaties, Azie)

GrASSrooT GENErATiNG LAuGhTEr, TELL A FriEND

SociAL NETWorKS

SPoNSoriNGorGANiSATioNone language is a huge international project, requiring an international multidisciplinary team made up of a mix of paid specialists and a large group of volunteers.

We need:• a generalist project director to supervise the project and all specialists.• a logistics specialist: planning and supervising the e-l@ugh stations, camcorders and the Arena of Laughter.• an iT-specialist planning and supervising the construction and maintenance of the website, the uploading and streaming of all laughs, server capacity and beaming the laughs in London.• a communication specialist, planning and supervising the sponsor and communication strategy, financial specialist planning and supervising accounting.

Each specialist will have to supervise and manage a group of volunteers, who actually implement the project on 5 continents and in London.

The organization is in hands of facilitator/organizer Stephan Zeijlemaker and initiator/artist Godelieve Smulders. Godelieve is a visual artist living in Amsterdam NL. her work ranges from large-scale public art project to studio works of sculpture, painting and drawing.The essence of her work is the beauty of lightness, dynamism and vitality.her artwork and projects are found in public places, museums and private collections.

www. laughterlab.com 00316 40709832

Stephan Zeijlemaker is an experienced and inspiring communication specialist, supervising the project.

Stephan Zeilemaker: 0031652066042

We do need a considerable amount of funding to realise the project. To build the e-l@ugh stations, the Laughterarena, to buy the mini camcorders, to build the website and rent data storage and beamers, for transport and construction etc.

We will look in 3 directions:• sponsors• art/social funds• grants

corporate sponsorsWe will approach sponsors for the realisation of the e-l@ugh stations and the Laughter arena, for storage and for transport. companies like Flip and Kodak (camcorders), TNT or uPS (transport), Google or you tube and Panasonic, Samsung spring to mind.

PersonalWe will ask participants to micro sponsor the project by donating 1 unit of the local currency.

FundsWe will apply for funding with art funds and funds with a social mission. Project in relation to arthistoryin art history, the subject laughter is not treated very often. it used to be against etiquette and considered worldly and superficial. in the 17th century we know that Jan Steen en Frans hals and a handful artist were painting laughing faces. Several chinese artist are making sculptures and paintings today. Godelieve Smulders has created a world-wide millennium audio artwork. revealing the origin of mankind, this project has a doubly original content in the art world, in a brand new media technology. in the bits and bites we find a suitable speed, equal to showing the bright and fast spirit of laughter.

i LAuGh ThErE For i AM

LAuGhTEr iS ThE ShorTESTroAD BETWEEN TWo PEoPLE

chArLEy chAPLiN

hE Who cANNoT LAuGh, cANNoT STArT A ShoP

coNFuSiuS 551 B.c.

LAuGhiNG iS SPENDiNGTiMES WiTh ThE GoDSJAPANESE SAyiNG

LAuGhTEr GivES you WiNGSA LAuGh iS A BriDGE BrAZiLiAN SAyiNG

LAuGhTEr iS A TrANcENDiNG QuANTuM JuMP ouT AND iNTo rEALiTy