About the project

The definition of happiness, once the realm of philosophy and faith, is now the province of the pharmaceutical industry. For five years, photographer Paolo Woods and journalist Arnaud Robert traveled the globe – from Niger to the United States, Switzerland to the Amazon – in search of “Happy Pills”.

The project examines the pill as the ultimate tool of a modern, Promethean society obsessed with efficiency, youth, and performance. Whether treating depression, enhancing sexuality, or fueling labor, these chemical solutions promise to repair invisible wounds and overcome the limitations of the human condition. Spanning a book, exhibition, and film, Happy Pills confronts a world where happiness has become a duty, and chemistry offers its immediate, standardized fulfillment.