Water scarcity, droughts, pollution of rivers, lakes, oceans, and groundwater, flooding, disrupted water cycles, and the loss of biodiversity: The global water crisis has many faces, some with dramatic consequences. Although access to water is a human right, according to the United Nations about two billion people worldwide have no access to clean drinking water, and 3.5 billion live without basic sanitation. The careful management of this essential resource is one of humanity’s greatest challenges. As one of the first large-scale museum explorations of this urgent topic, WATER PRESSURE. Designing for the Future showcases the versatile element of water and the role of design in shaping a sustainable water future.

The multidisciplinary project—a cooperation between the MAK, the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (MK&G), and Jane Withers Studio, London—brings together art, design, architecture, and science with the shared goal of contributing visionary concepts for the conservation, sustainable use, and equitable distribution of water. A broad range of innovative objects and installations show ways to resolve the global water crisis and to radically change the current situation, with many of the solutions relying on principles from nature.