A Huge Water Security Exhibition Is Coming To London

Freshwater is essential to life on Earth; it’s what sets us apart from the rest of our solar system. But our relationships with water differ dramatically across the globe: from polar regions where water, locked up in ice, forms landscapes; to arid regions with high temperatures, low rainfall and almost ever-present drought. This is the subject of Wellcome Collection’s next landmark exhibition. Entitled Thirst: In Search of Freshwater, it’ll draw more than 125 objects together, spanning historical artefacts to newly commissioned work, all delving into the profound part freshwater plays in heath, community, eco-systems and culture. Here’s what else to expect.

Adam Rouhana, Ein Aouja, 2022. Photographic print.
(© Adam Rouhana)

What To Expect At Thirst: In Search Of Freshwater

Curated by Janice Li, Thirst: In Search of Freshwater will be split into five conditions: Aridity, Rain, Glaciers, Surface Water and Groundwater. Within each, visitors are invited to explore the environmental, social and cultural meanings of the condition, with artefacts spanning disciplines (science, history, art, technology and Indigenous knowledge) and time (from ancient Mesopotomia to Victorian London to modern day Nepal) to elucidate the relationships with freshwater here.

While Thirst will delve into the consequences of water’s mismanagement on a global scale – from the spread of infectious diseases to the exacerbated climate crisis – it will also spotlight the life-affirming, regenerative and healing nature of water across cultures, geographies and time, as well as sharing moments of hope by showcasing community-driven, regenerative solutions to the global water crises.

Integrating eco-friendly practices into the exhibition itself, the design of Thirst will experiment with innovative, bioregenerative materials, including building boards made of wetland reed fibres, hemp, straw and ceramics made with London clay.

An accompanying book will be published to accompany the exhibition, with a foreword written by Robert Macfarlane. Inside, the voices of Elif Shafak, Vandana Shiva, Rebecca Solnit, Ocean Vuong, Olivia Laing and more will celebrate the myths and memories that flow through freshwater.

Map showing the distribution of cholera in London and its environs, 1867.
Journal, paper. (Courtesy of Wellcome Collection)

Aridity

An exploration of landscapes characterised by high temperatures, low rainfall, and often extreme drought. Here, water is scarce – so it becomes both a source of conflict and symbol of survival.

One of the oldest objects on display in this section dates back to ancient Sumer: a cuneiform inscription tablet of the ancient poem Gilgamesh and Aga (c. 1900-1600 BCE), which recounts the story of the first war over water in ancient Mesopotamia. It’ll be joined by an ongoing contemporary project, ‘Before It Is Gone’, started by M’hammed Kilito in 2020 to document the degradation of Moroccan oases and the rise of desertification, while also highlighting grassroots interventions.

Rain

This section is all about the seasonal relief that comes with the arrival of rainfall – and the necessary resilience when drought makes way to flooding. Two artefacts will stand in contrast to elucidate this: Adam Rouhana’s photograph, ‘Ein Auoja’ (2022), which chronicles the joy of communities experiencing seasonal rainfall in the West Bank; and herbal specimens by Lora Aziz and the young Bedouins of St Catherine pointing to the unusual amount of rainfall that took place in the Sinai Peninsula during the pandemic.

Also in this section, Gideon Mendel’s video installation, ‘Deluge’ (2007-2024), documents experiences of flooding across the globe over two decades, showcasing resilience but also the collective experience of loss.

Glaciers

Only 3 percent of our planet’s water supply is freshwater – and two thirds of that is locked up in glaciers. Glacial melting is one of the more photographed facets of the climate crisis: think polar bears floating on ice bergs, retreating ice caps, and dry ski slopes. But the reality is even more devastating when it comes to freshwater.

In this section of Thirst: In Search of Freshwater, Susan Schuppli’s audio installation, ‘Ice Records’ (2021), will connect this known reality to the emotional impact on communities that rely on glacial meltwater for their freshwater supply. Meanwhile, a newly commissioned installation by Karan Shrestha will examine how ineffective infrastructure combined with rapid glacial melt in Nepal led to fatal flooding and landslides, the ongoing dengue epidemic, and the forced displacement of people and animals.

Surface Water

Both rivers and human-made water systems are examples of surface water playing a crucial role in our access to freshwater, sustaining communities and ecosystems. This is one of the more hopeful sections, showcasing the ‘Eden in Iraq’ project led by Nature Iraq which shows how a wastewater garden can blend ancient Mesopotamian knowledge with modern solutions to treat polluted water.

Meanwhile, a new interactive digital work by Feifei Zhou and Zahirah Suhaimi (SEACoast) will explore water security in Singapore, examining how technological interventions like desalination can have unintended ecological and social consequences.

Groundwater

Finally, Thirst: In Search of Freshwater will delve into our critical yet invisible freshwater supply: groundwater. Here, Anthony Acciavatti’s ‘Groundwater Earth’ (2024) will spotlight the devastating geological consequences of colonial water extraction technologies. The Black Mary Well project (led by Gaylene Gould), meanwhile, will pay tribute to Mary Woolaston, a Black woman who ran a healing well on King’s Cross Road in the 17th century.

A second new commission will conclude the exhibition here: Raqs Media Collective’s ‘Sometimes farther than the sun’ (2025), which speculates on the future of water mining in space through augmented reality.

Chloe Dewe Mathews
32. Mass Baptism, from ‘Thames Log’, 2013. C-type print, dry mounted onto card. (© Chloe Dewe Mathews)

Artists On Display At Thirst: In Search of Freshwater

As well as historical artefacts, Thirst: In Search of Freshwater will spotlight new and recent works by the following artists:

• Gideon Mendel
• Chloe Dewe Mathews
• Anthony Acciavatti
• Susan Schuppli
• Adib Dada
• M’hammed Kilito
• Adam Rouhana
• Raqs Media Collective
• Karan Shrestha
• Feifei Zhou and Zahirah Suhaimi (SEACoast)

Where, When & How?

Thirst: In Search of Freshwater will run at the Wellcome Collection from 26 June 2025 to 1 February 2026. A programme of accompanying events will be revealed in due course.

The exhibition will be free to visit. The Wellcome Collection is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm, closing at the slightly later time of 8pm on Thursdays.

Address: Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE.

wellcomecollection.org