Rain Room, Sharjah

Overview

Random International’s immersive installation Rain Room (2012) invites you to walk through a downpour of continuous rain without getting wet. The responsive environment follows visitors as they navigate the darkened underground space, preventing the rain from falling directly above any detected human presence.

This site-specific installation uses 2,500 litres of self-cleaning recycled water, which is controlled through a system of networked 3D tracking cameras. The work explores how humankind's relationships to one another and to nature are increasingly mediated through intangible technologies.

Founded in 2005, Random International is an art group based in London and Berlin. Their work, which includes sculpture, performance and large-scale architectural installation, explores the human condition in an increasingly mechanised world through emotional yet physically intense experiences.

Sharjah’s Rain Room marks the Middle East premiere and the first permanent installation of this project by Random International. The work has previously been on view at the Barbican, London (2012); MoMA, New York (2013); Yuz Museum, Shanghai (2015) and LACMA, Los Angeles (2015–2017).

The Rain Room building in Sharjah has been designed by Sharjah Art Foundation and the UAE-based SpaceContinuum Design Studio in collaboration with Shape Architecture Practice + Research, Sharjah.

Opened in May 2018, Rain Room is part of the Sharjah Art Foundation Collection and the first of a series of artist-designed permanent spaces.

Tickets and Timings

Tickets:

Tickets are sold online and on-site.

To avoid waiting at the venue and due to tickets being fully booked on weekends and offcial holidays, book your tickets in advance.

To purchase your tickets, please click here.

-Adult: 25 AED
-Student: 15 AED (up to 22 years-ID required)
-Teachers: 15 AED (ID required)
-Children: Free admission (up to 5 years)
-People with Disabilities and one companion: Free admission
-A maximum of seven people can enter the installation at one time.
-Each viewing will last for 15 minutes.

Opening hours:
Saturday to Thursday: 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Friday: 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Contact

t +971 6 561 0095
rainroom@sharjahart.org

Regulations and Guidelines

•Please arrive 10 minutes before your booked time slot.
•No food or beverage is allowed inside the installation.
•Children should be supervised at all times.
•The use of umbrellas or other rain gear is not permitted.
•For safety reasons, visitors are prohibited from wearing shoes with pointed high heels.
•Dark, shiny, reflective or impermeable clothing may affect the functioning of the sensors.
•If visitors move impulsively within the installation, slight contact with water is possible.
•The installation requires regular maintenance and is subject to temporary closure during the day.
•No professional photography is allowed without explicit prior permission from Sharjah Art Foundation.
•Use of mobile phones is entirely at the risk of the owner.
•Visitors are asked to abstain from taking photographs for any other purpose than documenting their visit to Rain Room Sharjah. Performance and music videos, product photography or fashion shoots are not permitted.
•Visitors are encouraged to photograph and share their experience on social media with the hashtag #RainRoomSharjah.