The exhibition “WATER” by Érico Hiller opens at MIS São Paulo on November 27, portraying the global water crisis through powerful documentary photography.
The Museum of Image and Sound (MIS), an institution linked to the Secretariat of Culture, Economy and Creative Industries of the State of São Paulo, presents the exhibition WATER, by humanist photographer Érico Hiller. The show opens on November 27 and remains on display until April 5, 2026, offering a striking visual testimony of communities around the world living without access to clean water.
A visual testimony of the global water crisis
Produced by MIS and created in partnership with Vento Leste, the exhibition documents the reality of water scarcity affecting millions of people in different countries, including Brazil. The project, developed over a decade, recently won the 2025 Conrado Wessel Foundation Photography Award and resulted in two books published by Vento Leste: WATER and Water Brazil.
According to the artist, the images aim to “restore protagonism to those who once felt invisible.” The photographs reveal the daily struggle of families who wake before sunrise to search for water in distant and often contaminated sources, exposing their health to constant risk.
“Every morning, millions of families wake up worried about finding water, which in most cases is not close to their homes. Exposing one’s own health daily to contamination and death is a cruel way to live,” states Érico Hiller.
An urgent manifesto for clean water
In the context of intensifying climate change, WATER emerges as a manifesto for universal access to drinking water and basic sanitation, aligned with Goal 6 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The exhibition highlights the contradiction between natural abundance and social inequality, particularly in regions such as the Amazon and Pantanal.
Data presented in the exhibition indicates that 2.1 billion people worldwide still lack safely managed drinking water, while climate forecasts suggest this number could exceed 5 billion by 2050. In Brazil, recent extremes have intensified droughts in the Amazon and caused devastating floods in the South, reinforcing the urgency of the debate.
“WATER is a matter of utmost urgency. The lack of access to clean water is an inhumane ordeal that no one should endure,” says Mônica Schalka, editor at Vento Leste.
Érico Hiller and the power of documentary photography
Recognized as one of Brazil’s leading humanist photographers, Érico Hiller has spent more than a decade documenting the global water crisis. His work has received international recognition and has been featured in exhibitions organized by institutions such as UNESCO.
With a blend of documentary rigor and human sensitivity, Hiller builds narratives that give voice to invisible communities and promote awareness and transformation. “The people are the answer,” reflects the photographer when referring to the resilience portrayed in his images.
Service
Exhibition: WATER
Artist: Érico Hiller
Period: November 27, 2025 to April 5, 2026
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 7pm; weekends and holidays, 10am to 6pm
Tickets: R$ 30
Guided tours: November 29, at 11am and 2:30pm
Location: Museum of Image and Sound (MIS)
Address: Av. Europa, 158 – Jardim Europa, São Paulo – SP
Phone: (11) 2117-4777
Website: www.mis-sp.org.br
