From melting glaciers and sea-level rise to storm surges, drought, and pollution – water affects us all. However, the consequences of the climate crisis are increasingly being tangible in this country, whereas the most drastic impacts are unevenly distributed along the colonial power divide. Communities that are most affected often have experience-based knowledge and ancestral wisdom that are effective in protecting water and ecosystems. The exhibition „Water Messages“ explores ecological knowledge and water stories stored in MARKK’s historical collections and relates them to contemporary water conservation and climate change movements in the Global South. Through contemporary examples of art and design, the exhibition illuminates the colonial origins of local water crises and introduces new applications for time-honored techniques and practices. It invites us to listen to the messages of water and rethink our relationships beyond the human position.