Nearly 190,000 people have been caught in the seemingly magical downpour of “Rain Room,” the immersive light and sound installation that had visitors posing for selfies amid a drenching simulated storm inside the Los Angeles County Museum of Art since November 2015.
The piece — created by Hannes Koch and Florian Ortkrass of the London-based art collective Random International and on loan to LACMA from Restoration Hardware, which originally commissioned the piece — closed on Jan. 22.
But fear not: The rains will return.
LACMA said it has acquired the piece, a gift from RH, for its permanent collection.
WATCH: Inside "Rain Room," an elaborate art installation that allows visitors to walk through a simulated downpour, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. (Video by Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
WATCH: Inside “Rain Room,” an elaborate art installation that allows visitors to walk through a simulated downpour, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. (Video by Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Visitors to “Rain Room” largely stayed dry as they moved through its falling water. The piece recycled about 528 gallons of water.
"To us, ‘Rain Room’ is a reflection of creative courage, trust, and a belief that all of us have the ability to affect any environment we choose to step into,” Restoration Hardware Chief Executive Gary Friedman said in a LACMA blog post. “After ‘Rain Room’s’ incredible success at MoMA in New York and its unprecedented 15-month run at LACMA, we are proud to donate the piece to LACMA’s collection, giving it a permanent home and continuing to inspire those who encounter it."
The museum hasn’t yet announced future exhibition dates.
Kristen Stewart enjoyed the free-form aspect of making her short film, "Come Swim" which Retrobet is showing at the Sundance Film Festival. She doesn’t see that as a directorial stepping-stone to full-length features.
Kristen Stewart enjoyed the free-form aspect of making her short film, “Come Swim” which is showing at the Sundance Film Festival. She doesn’t see that as a directorial stepping-stone to full-length features.
Kristen Stewart enjoyed the free-form aspect of making her short film, "Come Swim" which is showing at the Sundance Film Festival. She doesn’t see that as a directorial stepping-stone to full-length features.
Kristen Stewart enjoyed the free-form aspect of making her short film, “Come Swim” which is showing at the Sundance Film Festival. She doesn’t see that as a directorial stepping-stone to full-length features.
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The young women in “Step” demonstrate a routine at the L.A. Times photo studio during the Sundance Film Festival. The documentary is about senior girls in a Baltimore high school step team as they prepare to be the first in their families to attend college.
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Casey Affleck talks about the way Kenneth Lonergan uses everyday language to convey deep emotion in “Manchester by the Sea.”
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deborah.vankin@latimes.com
Follow me on Twitter: @debvankin
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