Karlsruhe’s history in the paper, printing and photography industry is closely linked to local water management. But even in the Black Forest, a region known for its bathing culture and abundant mineral water springs, water shortages and the condition of the rivers and ecological imbalance are worsening. In Karlsruhe’s Upper Rhine region, five artists focussed on local (ground)water and the sustainable use of it. Raising awareness of these increasingly critical conditions and only slowly adapting ways of dealing with them is an essential prerequisite for collective action. The third local exhibition of Hydromedia: Seeing with Water brings together new works by Alina Schmuch, Jiajia Qi, Arja Hop & Peter Svenson, and Luiz Zanotello. These artists lived and worked in and around Karlsruhe in April 2024. The opening program, workshops and exhibition was curated by Vanessa Bosch, Susanne Kriemann and Matthias Bruhn (HfG).