News
March 22, 2026
United Nations highlights water and gender equality on World Water Day 2026
The United Nations marks World Water Day 2026 under the theme “Where water flows, equality grows,” highlighting the connection between water and gender equality. This year’s observance stresses that safe water and sanitation are essential to rights, health, dignity, education, and opportunity, while calling for women and girls to be centred in water solutions as users, leaders, and decision-makers.
March 1, 2026
Talk at the National Gallery, London
Bill Balaskas will present 'Flying Rivers' at the National Gallery in London in the context of the conference '(Re)alignment: rethinking familial ties in the Visual Arts' (May 28, 2026). In his talk, titled 'Invisible Bonds: Atmospheric Rivers and Reimagining Kinship Through Water', Bill will put forward the connections formed through atmospheric rivers and hydro-kinship as a social contract for living within the climate crisis condition.
February 27, 2026
Presentation at Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf
Bill Balaskas will present 'Flying Rivers' at the Heinrich-Heine-Universität in Düsseldorf in the context of the conference 'Climate – Crisis – Collaboration' (October 5 – 7, 2026) . In his talk, titled 'From Awareness to Infrastructure: Museums, Flying Rivers, and the Politics of Water Justice', Bill will analyse how 'Flying Rivers' aims at translating the hydrological cycle into institutional commitments and public forms of sense-making.
November 19, 2025
Third event for 'Flying Rivers' at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale
The 'Flying Rivers' cultural programme had its third event at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale in the context of its closing week. Under the title, "From 'Flying Rivers' to water justice: the cultural sector as a model for climate action", this panel discussion investigated the soft power of cultural institutions as enablers of climate action, while reflecting on the systemic changes required within cultural institutions and the ways in which these may catalyse wider shifts.
November 19, 2025
The BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art joins 'Flying Rivers'
The internationally renowned BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, in Gateshead, was announced as the inaugural 'Flying Rivers' institution in the context of the panel discussion "From 'Flying Rivers' to water justice: the cultural sector as a model for climate action", which was held at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale.
November 13, 2025
'As Below, So Above' at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale
Based on his performative project 'As Below, So Above', this lecture by Bill Balaskas drew a parallel between the invisibility of the canals-'rivers' ("rii") of Venice which were transformed over the city's history into streets with water still flowing underneath them ("Rii Terà con volti"), and the invisibility of atmospheric-'flying' rivers, whose preservation is essential for the hydrological cycle and for tackling climate change. The event was conveived as a precurssor to the full launch of 'Flying Rivers' the programme's third event at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale, on November 19, 2025.
June 5, 2025
'Flying Rivers' first announcement at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale, on World Environment Day
The 'Flying Rivers' cultural programme was announced on World Environment Day 2025 in the context of the official public programme of the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale, curated by Carlo Ratti (May 10th - November 23rd, 2025). The announcement was made by artist and 'Flying Rivers' instigator Bill Balaskas, and Water Global Affairs expert Anna Dupont, during the panel discussion 'Water as a global common good: Building coalitions between art, science, and architecture'.