Exhibition “On Water”: Rethinking Water

Berlin Partner © eventfotografen.berlin

07.10.2025
“On Water”: Rethinking Water

Brain City Berlin

Starting October 10, 2025, the exhibition “On Water. WasserWissen in Berlin” at the Humboldt Laboratory of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin will present entirely new perspectives on the element of water. Researchers from the Berlin University Alliance show current projects in which they explore the properties of water. Artists will interpret its dynamics. The opening weekend will also feature an exciting program of lectures, guided tours, hands-on activities, and performances. Admission is free.

Water is essential for life—for plants, animals, and humans. We drink it, swim in it, experience it in the form of raindrops, snowflakes, or ice. Water can also threaten life. Floods, heavy rainfall, and droughts are becoming increasingly frequent as a result of climate change. This excess as well as the shortage have long since become a global challenges.

The exhibition “On Water. WasserWissen in Berlin” will be on display at the Humboldt Laboratory from October 10, showcasing current research projects of the Berlin University Alliance (BUA) that deal with the wet element from various perspectives. More than fifty scientists from the alliance participated in the exhibition. They responded to an open call issued by the BUA at the beginning of last year. “There was plenty of enthusiastic feedback from a wide range of disciplines, as well as from researchers at all career levels.,” said curator Dr. Anna-Lisa Dieter in an interview with the BUA. However, the team first had to find out who in Berlin was actually researching the topic.

"How will we secure the water supply in tomorrow’s world? This is a big question that touches on many other aspects, such as climate change. Real life and research become intertwined here. Starting from Berlin, we will broaden our view and look out into the wider world,“ says Dieter, explaining the approach of the exhibition, which makes the diversity of science in the Brain City Berlin visible. Dieter: ”Researchers in Berlin are looking at local bodies of water – such as the Müggelsee, the Spree and the Panke – as well as rivers in Latin America and Asia. They are dealing with water infrastructures and phenomena as diverse as puddles, clouds, whirlpools, and glaciers. “

”On Water. WasserWissen in Berlin" focuses on encounters with water in our living environment, whether in the sea, on the coast, in the city, in rivers, or in the bathroom. Using exemplary research projects, the exhibition illustrates how and why Berlin scientists are studying, for example, whirlpools in rivers and street fountains, the melting of glaciers in the Alps, or the bathtub as a therapeutic place. Artistic interpretations and performances flank the exhibits. Even puddles are objects of research: “There are actually various 'puddle researchers' in Berlin,” says Anna-Lisa Dieter. The impetus for this research comes from art. “What is particularly interesting about puddles is that they are the smallest standing bodies of water in the city. They form an ecosystem of their own, in which the influence of humans can be seen.”

The exhibition “On Water. WasserWissen in Berlin” also provides insights into the working methods, motivation, and self-understanding of the researchers. At several digital stations, visitors can learn about the everyday work of scientists. And in an audio track, researchers talk about their fascination with their work and why it is worth listening to water. The exhibition also presents selected research projects that deal with solutions to water scarcity in Egypt and Kurdistan, taking local knowledge into account. A legal initiative addresses the question of how the Spree River could be granted rights. A special highlight of the exhibition is a three-dimensional model that makes the invisible aspects of the urban water cycle visible: groundwater and sewage systems. The “water bar” invites visitors to participate, as they can filter and taste Spree water themselves.

“OnWater. WasserWissen in Berlin” also marks the start of a four-part exhibition series at the Humboldt Laboratory in Berlin, which deals with the elements of life—water, earth, fire, and air.The opening weekend will feature a colourful programme of lectures, discussions, performances, hands-on activities, and guided tours from October 10 to 12. Adults, children, and families are invited. Admission is free. (vdo)

OnWater. WasserWissen in Berlin
From October 10, 2025
Humboldt Laboratory, 1st floor of the Humboldt Forum
Schlossplatz, 10178 Berlin
Free admission