LONDON.- 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 good health for both living beings and land masses.

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


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Featuring over 125 objects, including contemporary artworks, historical artefacts, meteorological records, new discovery research and materials from Wellcome’s collection, Thirst takes visitors through five distinct conditions: Aridity, Rain, Glaciers, Surface Water and Groundwater. Each explores the impact access to freshwater has on human and ecological health, its regenerative and healing nature, and the consequences of mismanagement, from disease to climate impacts. Alongside these urgent challenges, it shares stories of resilience and innovation, showcasing community-driven, regenerative solutions to the global water crisis.


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

Thirst will open with Aridity, a section exploring landscapes characterised by high temperatures, low rainfall, and, at times, extreme drought. Visitors will discover how water scarcity has been both a source of conflict and a symbol of survival. A cuneiform tablet of the ancient Sumerian poem “Gilgamesh and Aga” (1900–1600 BCE), recounts the first war over water in Mesopotamia. Nearby, M’hammed Kilito’s photographic project “Before It’s Gone” (2020–ongoing) documents the degradation of Moroccan oases, highlighting the impacts of human intervention and desertification, and local efforts to preserve this biodiversity refuge. A new multi-channel installation by Raqs Media Collective, Thirst/Trishna (2025), explores the paradox of water’s absence and unpredictability, linking ancient Rajasthani stepwells to present-day water scarcity.

The Rain section examines the seasonal arrival of water, bringing both resilience and relief. Adam Rouhana’s photograph Ein Auoja (2022) captures joy and resistance embodied by communities experiencing seasonal rainfall in the West Bank. Nearby, Gideon Mendel’s video installation Deluge (2007–2024) documents global flooding over two decades, revealing both individual resilience and collective loss.

Only three percent of Earth’s water is freshwater, and two thirds of that is locked in glaciers. The Glaciers section explores the fragility of this disappearing resource and the ecosystems and livelihoods it supports. Susan Schuppli’s audio work Ice Records (2021) links receding glaciers to the emotional toll on affected communities. A new commission by Karan Shrestha examines how glacial melt in Nepal, combined with poor infrastructure, leads to deadly floods and landslides, worsening dengue outbreaks and displacing people and animals.

Surface Water focuses on freshwater in natural rivers and human-made systems that sustain life. The “Eden in Iraq” project, led by Nature Iraq, offers a hopeful story in the face of water mismanagement, with a wastewater garden blending Mesopotamian traditions and modern solutions. This section also features an interactive digital work by Feifei Zhou and Zahirah Suhaimi (SEACoast), exploring ecological and cultural dynamics in the Johor Straits between Singapore and Malaysia, shaped by rising seas and human activity.

The final section, Groundwater, explores this critical yet hidden water source essential to agriculture, cities, and modern life. Anthony Acciavatti’s Groundwater Earth (2024) reveals the destructive legacy of colonial water extraction. The Black Mary Well project, led by Gaylene Gould, honours 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, Sometimes farther than the sun (2025), which speculates on future water mining in space through augmented reality.

Thirst: In Search of Freshwater is a free exhibition curated by Janice Li, Wellcome Collection curator. It runs from June 26, 2025 to February 1, 2026.