World of Water

World of Water is a high-end photobook and exhibition catalogue (bilingual English/German) produced for the Technical University of Aschaffenburg 2026. In this bilingual (English/German) publication, Leipzig-based artist Marcel van Beek presents a meticulous photographic investigation into the materiality and ecological agency of water.

The work transcends pure aesthetics by situating itself within the current sustainability debate. A central feature of the book is an analytical essay by Professor Dr. Erik Gawel from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), which provides a theoretical framework for the series. Gawel identifies the work as a "powerful voice" that brings global environmental challenges into public consciousness. Further academic perspectives are provided by Professor Dr. Ludger Schneider-Störmann, who reflects on the "cinematic intensity" and the interplay between beauty and the vulnerability of our environment.