In our first theme of this issue, we examine how ice, traditionally a symbol of eternity and stasis, has become a metaphor for change and decay in contemporary art. We also look at what it means to live on an island, surrounded by water, feeling the sea’s abundance alongside the threat of water shortages; and our meditation on OmVed Gardens’ pond draws on writer Astrida Neimanis’ theory of hydrocommons – looking at how water runs across nature, binding and connecting it and, implicitly, us.