Thirst: In Search of Freshwater

26 June 2025 – 1 February 2026

Free

Wellcome Collection presents Thirst: In Search of Freshwater, a free major exhibition exploring humanity’s vital connection with freshwater as an essential source of life and a pillar of health for both living beings and land masses.

Spanning times and cultures, from ancient Mesopotamia to Victorian London, and extending to modern-day Nepal and Singapore, the exhibition brings together art, science, history, technology and Indigenous knowledge from communities past and present, offering a comprehensive understanding of the environmental, social and cultural relationships we have with freshwater.  

Featuring over 125 objects, including contemporary artworks, historical artefacts, meteorological records, new discovery research and materials from Wellcome’s collection, Thirst takes visitors on a journey through five distinct conditions: aridity, rain, glaciers, surface water and groundwater. Each section highlights the profound impact of access to freshwater on the health of individuals, communities and ecosystems, and explore its life-affirming, regenerative and healing nature.

They also address the consequences of water’s mismanagement around the world, from the spread of infectious diseases to exacerbating the effects of climate change. Alongside these urgent challenges, the exhibition shares moments of hope and joy through stories of resilience and innovation, showcasing community-driven, regenerative solutions to the global water crises.

The exhibition features new and recent works by Gideon Mendel, Chloe Dewe Mathews, Anthony Acciavatti,Susan Schuppli, Adib Dada, M’hammed Kilito and Adam Rouhana; along with new commissions by Raqs Media Collective, Karan Shrestha and Feifei Zhou and Zahirah Suhaimi (SEACoast).

‘Aridity’ explores the landscapes characterised by high temperatures, low rainfall and, in some cases, extreme drought. Visitors will discover how water scarcity has been both a source of conflict and a symbol of survival. One of the oldest objects on display will be a cuneiform inscription tablet of the ancient Sumerian poem, Gilgamesh and Aga (1900-1600 CE), which recounts the story of the first war over water in ancient Mesopotamia.

M’hammed Kilito’s photographic project, ‘Before It Is Gone’ (2020-ongoing), documents the degradation of Moroccan oases, emphasising the devastating impacts of human intervention and desertification, while highlighting local efforts to preserve this refuge for biodiversity. A new commission by Raqs Media Collective, ‘Thirst/Trishna’ (2025), presents a multi-channel installation exploring the paradox of the absence and unpredictability of water and the perpetual desire for it, linking the experience of descending into the ancient stepwells of Rajasthan, India, to the present-day challenge of water scarcity.

The section dedicated to ‘Rain’ will examine the seasonal arrival of water, which brings both resilience and relief. Adam Rouhana’s photograph, ‘Ein Auoja’ (2022) chronicles the joy and resistance embodied by communities experiencing seasonal rainfall in the West Bank, while nearby collected herbal specimens by Lora Aziz and the young Bedouins of St Catherine, point to the unusual amount of rainfall that took place in the Sinai Peninsula during the pandemic, uncovering the medicinal use of local plants to combat COVID-19.

Gideon Mendel’s video installation, ‘Deluge’ (2007-2024), documents experiences of flooding across the globe over two decades, showcasing the resilience of individuals affected by rising waters and the collective experience of loss.

While only three percent of the Earth’s entire water supply is freshwater, almost two-thirds of this is locked in frozen ice caps. ‘Glaciers’ explores the fragility of this disappearing resource, acknowledging the different ecosystems and livelihoods that depend on it.

Susan Schuppli’s audio installation, ‘Ice Records’ (2021), connects the reality of receding glaciers with the emotional impact on the communities that rely on glacial meltwater. An installation by Karan Shrestha examines how both glacial melting in Nepal and ineffective infrastructures lead to fatal flooding and landslides, contributing to the ongoing dengue epidemic and the forced displacement of humans and animals. Shrestha weaves together Indigenous knowledge and the work of Wellcome-funded public health initiatives such as the World Mosquito Program and the District Health Information System 2 (DHIS2).

‘Surface Water’ features stories of freshwater in naturally occurring rivers and human-made water systems on land, which sustain communities and ecosystems.

It looks at the ‘Eden in Iraq’ project, led by Nature Iraq, which offers a hopeful narrative in the face of water mismanagement, showcasing a wastewater garden that integrates traditional Mesopotamian knowledge systems with modern solutions to treat polluted water. ‘Surface Water’ features an interactive digital work by Feifei Zhou and Zahirah Suhaimi (SEACoast), exploring ecological and cultural dynamics in the Johor Straits, a narrow waterway between Singapore and Malaysia, shaped by rising sea levels and human intervention.

‘Groundwater’ delves into the most critical yet least visible sources of water that sustain modern life, agriculture and urban environments. Anthony Acciavatti’s ‘Groundwater Earth’ (2024) reveals the devastating geological consequences of colonial water extraction technologies, while The Black Mary Well project, led by Gaylene Gould, pays tribute to Mary Woolaston, a Black woman who ran a healing well on King’s Cross Road in the 17th century.

The exhibition concludes with a second new commission by Raqs Media Collective titled ‘Sometimes farther than the sun’ (2025), which speculates on the future of water mining in space through augmented reality.

The exhibition’s design experiments with innovative and bioregenerative materials, including building boards made of wetland reed fibres, hemp, straw and ceramics made of locally sourced London clay. Developed in collaboration with studios Material Cultures and Wolfe Hall, the design reimagines temporary structures and waste in museums without compromising on conservation needs.

Thirst: In Search of Freshwater will be accompanied by a programme of events. A symposium exploring the key themes of the exhibition and featuring artists, activists and researchers will be held at Wellcome Collection in September 2025. An accompanying publication, Thirst: In Search of Freshwater, includes a foreword by Robert Macfarlane with contributions from Elif Shafak, Vandana Shiva, Rebecca Solnit, Ocean Vuong and Olivia Laing, celebrating myths and memories that flow through this vital resource.