London based contemporary art studio Random International are most known for their immersive installation the Rain Room, which has been shown in several museums around the world. For the first time in the Middle Eastern region, the exhibit has been on display at the Sharjah Art Foundation since May of this year and is one of the first permanent spaces in the museum.
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When you enter, you’ll see an open space with continuous rainfall that you’re invited to walk through. Before you get scared about getting soaked, the whole point of this installation is that motion sensors will detect your movement and turn off any rain pour that would fall on you. So you’ll be walking through the rain but none will fall directly onto you. The visitors are essentially part of the installation!
The installation works by using 2,500 litres of self-cleaning recycled water and is controlled by 3D cameras placed on the ceiling. It’s quite an intricate process, but it obviously has to be so that the water nozzles are accurately switched off around the movement of the visitors.
Ticket prices are 25 AED for those 18+, 15 AED for students / teachers (ID required) and free admission for children (up to 5) and people with disabilities. Buy tickets here and check the map for directions on how to get there.