A bad witch's blog: Exhibition: Thirst - Our Vital Connection to Water

Friday, 8 August 2025

Exhibition: Thirst - Our Vital Connection to Water

Water is not only vital to human life, it's sacred in many spiritual paths. The picture above shows a series of photographs of religious rituals by diverse communities that live along the River Thames. The one on the right shows a pagan Wheel of the Year festival. The photos are by Chloe Dewe Mathews and are on display at Thirst: In Search of Freshwater, an exhibition at London's Wellcome Collection.

Other objects and artworks also show how humans have long held a mystical relationship with water. From ancient Mesopotamia and Victorian London to modern-day Nepal and Singapore, the exhibition highlights the vital role of freshwater in shaping health and ecosystems as well as magical and religious beliefs and observances, including water collected by pilgrims of various faiths. The central panel in the photo below shows a healing spring in Nepal. In the same case are bottles of water from the River Ganges and from the temple to the Goddess Sulis at Bath.

However, Thirst is primarily about the importance of managing our limited water supply. Other parts of the exhibition show suffering caused by droughts and floods, and highlight things we can do to conserve water as well as honour this vital element. The picture below shows a multimedia installation ‘Thirst/Trishna’ by Raqs Media Collective, inspired by the stepwells of Rajasthan and Delhi. The description says:

"These subterranean structures, which can descend up to 100 feet, were built to capture and store rainwater – the watermarks etched onto stone reflect on both the absence and the unpredictable overflow of water."

Thirst: In Search of Freshwater is on until February 2026 at the Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. Entry is free and you can just turn up to see it. https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/thirst-in-search-of-freshwater