The exhibition catalogue of Thirst: In Search of Fresh Water at the Wellcome Collection, London features Raqs Media Collective's text The Parable of the Step Well. The exhibition is on view until 1 February 2026.
"Is thirst like an unrequited love?
‘The Parable of the Step Well’ reflects on water as memory, desire, origin, and absence. From step wells to molecular gas clouds, this text traces thirst as something that is measured without measure; carried in bodies, landscapes, and the cosmos alike.
Published in ‘Thirst: In Search of Freshwater’, edited by Ellen Johl, published by The Wellcome Collection, 2025, in accompaniment to ‘Thirst : In Search of Freshwater’ curated by Janice Li, at the Wellcome Collection, London."
– Raqs Media Collective
