ONE BODY OF WATER
ONE BODY OF WATER

Rain Taste Soil Drink

Regina Hügli (ONE BODY OF WATER) won the S+T+ARTS Aqua Motion competition on drinking water in Vienna with her project Rain Taste Soil Drink. The project will run for 13 months, hosted by and carried out in partnership with the Technical University of Vienna, in collaboration with experts from the Federal Environment Agency, MA31, the University of Vienna, BOKU Vienna, and others.

S+T+ARTS AQUA MOTION is a major European initiative funded by the EU that brings together Science, Technology, and the Arts (S+T+ARTS) to address pressing water-related challenges. Through artistic experimentation and innovation, the initiative aims to develop sustainable solutions for water management in key European river basins.

Four glasses of Drinking Water in front of blue sky.

Rain Taste Soil Drink explores Vienna’s drinking water as a product of natural processes, legislation, administrative infrastructures, technology, and the users, Vienna's inhabitants. Drinking water is the most strictly regulated food in Europe, monitored daily for availability, quality, and taste. Yet climate change, environmental pressures, and human activities are leaving their mark—for example through warmer groundwater bodies and contaminants such as pesticides, PFAS, and microplastics.

How can these changes and their impacts be communicated? How can awareness of this politically and socially sensitive topic be strengthened? And how can the emotional connection between Vienna’s residents and the water, soils, and ecosystems that sustain the city be deepened to foster a culture of care?

The project’s questions and research findings culminate in a hybrid installation by Regina Hügli and artistic and tech partner Aaron Kimmig. A physical water-tasting bar stages encounters with different local waters—substances that may seem neutral in taste but are rich in information. Installed in various public spaces, the water bar invites Vienna’s residents to taste, discuss, and reflect. QR codes link visitors to an online platform where facts and stories about the city’s water cycle, its historical origins, and current challenges can be explored interactively in both poetic and critical ways.

The installation will be presented in public spaces in Vienna in summer 2026 and subsequently exhibited internationally.

 

By combining art, science, and citizen participation, the project seeks to foster emotional engagement, systems thinking, and a culture of care. Designed as a prototype, the installation can be adapted and scaled using open-source tools for use in educational institutions, museums, and international networks.

Rain Taste Soil Drink

Regina Hügli (ONE BODY OF WATER) won the S+T+ARTS Aqua Motion competition on drinking water in Vienna with her project Rain Taste Soil Drink. The project will run for 13 months, hosted by and carried out in partnership with the Technical University of Vienna, in collaboration with experts from the Federal Environment Agency, MA31, the University of Vienna, BOKU Vienna, and others.

S+T+ARTS AQUA MOTION is a major European initiative funded by the EU that brings together Science, Technology, and the Arts (S+T+ARTS) to address pressing water-related challenges. Through artistic experimentation and innovation, the initiative aims to develop sustainable solutions for water management in key European river basins.

Four glasses of Drinking Water in front of blue sky.

Rain Taste Soil Drink explores Vienna’s drinking water as a product of natural processes, legislation, administrative infrastructures, technology, and the users, Vienna's inhabitants. Drinking water is the most strictly regulated food in Europe, monitored daily for availability, quality, and taste. Yet climate change, environmental pressures, and human activities are leaving their mark—for example through warmer groundwater bodies and contaminants such as pesticides, PFAS, and microplastics.

How can these changes and their impacts be communicated? How can awareness of this politically and socially sensitive topic be strengthened? And how can the emotional connection between Vienna’s residents and the water, soils, and ecosystems that sustain the city be deepened to foster a culture of care?

The project’s questions and research findings culminate in a hybrid installation by Regina Hügli and artistic and tech partner Aaron Kimmig. A physical water-tasting bar stages encounters with different local waters—substances that may seem neutral in taste but are rich in information. Installed in various public spaces, the water bar invites Vienna’s residents to taste, discuss, and reflect. QR codes link visitors to an online platform where facts and stories about the city’s water cycle, its historical origins, and current challenges can be explored interactively in both poetic and critical ways.

The installation will be presented in public spaces in Vienna in summer 2026 and subsequently exhibited internationally.

 

By combining art, science, and citizen participation, the project seeks to foster emotional engagement, systems thinking, and a culture of care. Designed as a prototype, the installation can be adapted and scaled using open-source tools for use in educational institutions, museums, and international networks.