Event 2: LACMA and the Rain Room

Earlier this week, I went to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. This was my second visit there and this time I was able to get tickets for the Rain Room exhibit. 

The Rain Room is an immersive art created by Random International. It is a room full of falling water that can stop when it detects a human body. It can create the experience of rain falling around you but not on you. Random International aims to use science and technology to challenge the human experience. 

Proof of attendance 1

It was not a very big exhibit so 15 minutes was sufficient to experience the Rain Room. The experience was very immersive indeed. I can feel how it challenges our normal experience when I step into the falling water and yet did not get soaking wet. The environment of this exhibit helps the viewer to focus on their physical experience as well. The sound of the falling water and the dim lighting in the room helps the viewer to reach an almost meditative state. 

Proof of attendance 2

The Rain Room is an obvious example of how science and technology help artist create art. One of artist's goals is always to enhance and transform the viewer's experience. Sometimes, it is hard to go beyond our everyday experience without the help of technology. The use of technology to help viewer have transcending experience is definitely becoming more and more common among artists. 

The Rain Room

Another artwork that has left a strong impression for me is called Metropolis II. It is a kinetic sculpture illustrating a fast paced, modern city with model cars and trains circulating the multiple roadways at high speed. Though the exhibit is not in action this time, I've seen it in action the last time I visited LACMA. This miniature representation of a busy 21st century metropolis with intricate pathways really fascinates me. When it was in action, the entire space was filled with the deafening noise of hundreds of model cars; an apt representation of the various noises we hear everyday in the big city. Now that we live in a society that depends heavily on science, many of our experiences are sculpted by technologies and machines; therefore, there is no way to artistically represent this experience without using a little mechanical creations. I feel that since science is integrated so strongly into our lives, arts would inevitably incorporate more science related components since it is based on the human experience. 

Metropolis II

I would definitely recommend LACMA to my classmates; it carries a wide variety of artworks and it have a lot of interesting temporary exhibitions as well. The Rain Room was definitely worth a visit as well if you can secure a ticket.