When you enter into the Rain Room at the Los Angeles
Contemporary Art Museum (LACMA), you are overwhelmed by a sense of calm and serenity
produce by the steady drops of water. As you move through the room, you
magically remain untouched by the drops of water, but they continue to fall on
all sides. You stick your hand out in front of you, but the rain seems as if it
anticipates your motion and avoids contact with your skin.
The Rain Room, created and engineered by artists Hannes Koch
and Florian Ortkrass, co-founders of the London-based art collective rAndom
International has sold out exhibits at museums around the world. The Rain Room
debuted at the London Barbican Center in 2012, but truly achieved “insta-fame”
when it traveled to New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in 2013. Only 7
people are allowed into the exhibit at one time, but it was estimated that over
1,000 people visited a day in the 11-week MoMA EXPO, sometimes waiting in line
for 8 hours. Then, the exhibit was installed at the Yuz Museum in Shanghai, China
and currently is on display at the LACMA in Los Angeles.
Last week during spring break, I had the unexpected
privilege to attend a Q&A session with Koch and Ortkrass facilitated by
LACMA CEO Michael Govan. After the presentation, I was able to experience the
rain room for myself. After hearing the artists speak about their work, I had
to stop myself from running into the exhibit – walking through the room was
scary yet comfortable. It’s hard to describe the sensation of being surrounded
by water without it touching you, so here’s a video that previews the experience (accompanied by a little explanation of creator Hannes Koch.)
The exhibit is housed in a 2,500 square foot room lit by a
singular spotlight. Sensors and body mapping cameras allow visitors to move
through the water untouched by the perpetually falling drops. Random International
designed the room to be a self-contained system: it uses (and reuses)
approximately 528 gallons of water throughout the entirety of the exhibit. This
water is filtered through the LACMA’s main filtration system and is tested by
sanitation professionals on a weekly basis to prevent potential health risks.
The creative minds behind the exhibit met during their
college years in London, bonding over the California Light and Space movement,
which took place during the 1960s. They soon collaborated in their artwork,
focusing on architecturally innovative projects which cause the viewer to get
outside of their comfort zone. They are eminent creators, whose desire to
discover how technology, especially digital technology, impacts human behavior
and social interactions.
Koch and Ortkrass spoke at length about the importance of
the interactive relationship of the viewer with the art. The art installation
allows the viewer to control the rain with their body movement, an interesting
spin on integrating elements of nature with technology. They expected people to
be scared to enter the room at first, but then become more trusting with time. What
they did not expect was the “Instagram-ability” of their piece – it has been
tagged on Instagram almost 40,000 times! To see how people reacted and posed
for the pictures is a part of the modern nature of the piece; it’s a part of
the world where people constantly pose, share, and comment on art and humanity
through the screens of their cell phones.
Listening to the artists talk about their artwork, it was
easy to identify Barron and Harrington’s core characteristics of creativity,
especially their attraction to complexity and challenges (Barron et al.). The
rain room began as a desire to observe the calming feeling of a rainstorm
without the uncomfortable feeling of getting wet. Then, they wondered how this
jolting experience would cause people to react. And so, their pursuit began.
At the end of the session, they previewed some of the future
projects that Random International is working on. As co-founders of the art
collective, they have collaborated in a way to inspire a greater cohort of
individuals – they challenge the individual norm and inspire future creativity
(Bennis 78). Similar to great technological advances of the past, like Apple,
Random International excels in their creativity alongside the success of the
technology available to them. Their studio prioritizes creativity through innovation
and collaboration. They discussed their future plans to implement the rain room
into an entire house or to even expand further outside of museum walls. Their
perspective of the relationship of humans with technology sets them apart from
many other creatives, who have strayed away from integrating science with their
art. Their ability to examine and manipulate social behavior in scientific and
artistic settings will be important in a world where technology is becoming an
integral part of the human experience.
 |
| ^ that's me! |
Sources:
Judy, this is a truly incredible idea you're writing about! I still can't seem to wrap my mind around how the rain does not touch you... There is definitely a unique calm-ness that come with being in the rain that there creatives are tying into. It is truly unique that you even got to experience it yourself and hear from the creatives themselves. I am amazed by this concept, and hope to see it in the future in Chicago or somewhere close! Thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI am so fascinated by this concept. It is really neat that Random International blended art and engineering to create a unique experience. I am very interested in how they thought to make a rainstorm dry. Personally, I love the sound of feeling of rain, but don't like being cold and wet - I want to visit! Also, I am very interested in the fact that the room received so much attention on social media; it is interesting that one creative idea inspired a change of more creative artwork ideas. Inspiring more creativity is definitely a trademark of a creative person. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis a really cool concept, and it's amazing you got to experience it yourself and hear from the creators. Besides feeling a little scared when first entering the exhibit, what other feelings were you experiencing while you were there? It would be very interesting to do a social experiment along with exhibit and monitor and record the reactions of all the people coming in and out of the rain. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a unique exhibit, and somehow I still can't 100% believe it exists! But you got to see it with your own eyes, and that is just so fantastic. I was wondering, did they happen to talk any more about the impact of their collaboration? I was wondering if they had done similar work separately, or if through their collaborative efforts they created a new style. With Picasso, it was only through collaboration that he was able to create cubism. It appears that collaboration can serve as both a source of new ideas and a reassurance that you're not taking such creative leaps alone. It is interesting because although a lot of scientific research is done in collaborative efforts, most art is done independently. Do you think art would be possibly...more creative, if it were more common to collaborate? I'm not sure.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of this exhibit before, and it was a fascinating read. I found it especially interesting watching the video, and listening to Hannes talk about how the exhibit is meant to try and draw people back into their bodies for a physical, real life experience because our society continues to become further enveloped in technology. Though the technology itself for this exhibit sounds like it would be worth investigating, it's great to see people integrating the tools that the 21st century provides, and using it in new and exciting ways. Sounds like it would be an exhibit worth taking the trip to see!
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of this exhibit before, and it was a fascinating read. I found it especially interesting watching the video, and listening to Hannes talk about how the exhibit is meant to try and draw people back into their bodies for a physical, real life experience because our society continues to become further enveloped in technology. Though the technology itself for this exhibit sounds like it would be worth investigating, it's great to see people integrating the tools that the 21st century provides, and using it in new and exciting ways. Sounds like it would be an exhibit worth taking the trip to see!
ReplyDeleteI actually really love the idea that you could go into a room while it rains without it touching you. I often find being in the rain beautiful however it is kind of hard to appreciate when you are wet and cold. Along with this I find it fascinating that the artists were able to find a way to allow the viewers of their art actually "walk between the raindrops". I think it also requires a mix of skills to make something like this happen. I feel like the creators must have had a level of knowledge in science and how they can manipulate rain.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like one of the most amazing art exhibits in existence. I think it's amazing that this also ties into environmental sustainability because it reuses the same water, instead of continually using water. I love how this is a marriage of art and technology, and I love that people can interact with the exhibit. The art that I've most enjoyed has been ones that I've been able to interact with rather than just look at, so this sounds like an exhibit that I will keep an eye out for.
ReplyDeleteI am used to going to art exhibits and just passively take in the details. I remember I did the same when I went to The Art Institute of Chicago. However, the idea that one can interact with the exhibit and experience something so unique is amazing. I love that fact that the water is reused for the exhibit because I had ever of some other art exhibits that completely wasted their resources after. It is environmentally friendly, and merely watching the video has given me a new outlook on nature's gift: Rain. I will definitely check out this exhibit when I get the chance!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that you mention the contrast between nature and technology. Not only did they use technology to create this piece, but technology also helped to make it famous. They seem to embrace these relationships and create a balance between the two that allow themselves and the artwork to succeed. Not only do I appreciate the innovation and design for this, but I also like how the viewer gets to interact with and somewhat control the exhibit. I feel like art can definitely be intimidating to look at for viewers who feel they may not 'get it'. However, this is a piece where almost anyone can easily see and feel the beauty and emotion it evokes. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete