Peter Fischli's exhibition "People Planet Profit" at Luma Arles presents hundreds of cheap, poorly designed business books he photographed over seven years, exploring the tension between capitalism, climate crisis, and social wellbeing. The show includes sculptures and screen prints that critique late-stage capitalism and mass tourism. Alongside it, landscape architect Bas Smets presents "Climates of Landscape," a practical exhibition proposing urban ecological solutions to rising temperatures and tides, featuring a microclimate installation within the former industrial building.
This exhibition matters because it brings together two complementary approaches to urgent global issues: Fischli's critical, conceptual art that mirrors society's contradictions, and Smets's applied, solution-oriented landscape design. By pairing these shows, Luma Arles demonstrates how contemporary art can both diagnose problems and imagine practical responses, bridging the gap between artistic critique and environmental action. The shows also highlight the growing role of art institutions in addressing climate change and urban sustainability.