The Rain Room

This week, I was assigned a paper that required me to see an exhibit and write on how other visitors
responded to the space and art. I decided to go to the Rain Room, in the Curve gallery, at the Barbican Art Centre. After getting lost in London, realizing that I couldn't see the show because of the two hour wait, travelling BACK to the museum the next day at the crack of dawn and waiting an hour and a half I finally was able to see the exhibit. It BLEW MY MIND! Brilliant.

“An awful lot happens without people being aware. They come to certain conclusions and even

perform actions without ever really, consciously considering why. This is what forms both the impetus and the investigation of the studio’s work. We experiment with this world of barely perceptible behavior and its simulation to explore human existence.” 

- Artists Hannes Koch, Florian Ortkrass, and Stuart Wood from the Random International art group

 The exhibit has altered the entire gallery space of the “Curve” gallery to fit the large grids and water system. The distinguishing factor of this show is that it puts the experience and power in its visitor’s hands; not only does it allow the visitor to interact with the elements, but it also gives them a key role in the aesthetics of the space. In the exhibition gallery guide, they explain that the show is about the control that is placed with the visitor, to “put your trust in the work to the test."

Waiting to get on the 'Rain' platform

                                                                 people 'frolicking'

 Standing in the 'rain'

To save me the two hour wait that I had faced before, I arrived at the Barbican half an hour early to its daily opening time and was amazed to see a queue over 50 meters long. The gallery attendant explained that show has been widely popular since it’s open, and the queue wait, on average, is as long as two hours.  Only about fifteen people are allowed into the gallery space at a time, and from that only five are allowed onto the rain platform.  Rounding the corner you see the shadows of rain falling, and the shadows of people in the space. You hear the patter of thousands of drops hitting the ground surface. Most of the group stops to watch the shadows play on the wall; two women pull out cameras to capture this overwhelming suspense, this foretaste of what is to come.

The Rain Room itself is a large rectangular space, lit by only one flood light at the back of the exhibit. The grid hanging toward the ceiling is raining down on five of the visitors encapsulated in the downpour at the moment. 

 What is most curious to see is how the visitors act once they step into the downpour. Most walk straight into the rectangular space; some stick their hand out first, as if not believing they will not get soaked. A few move fast and clearly get wet. Once each person has made it three quarters through the space they stop and turn in one spot, staring at the ceiling. 

BASICALLY SO COOL!