Taking a dry walk in the rain
It was an art installation that had New Yorkers queueing in droves — sometimes in sweltering heat — for the novel experience of walking through rain without getting wet.
The chance came courtesy of Rain Room, a novel installation by British art collective Random International, at the Museum of Modern Art (Moma), which closed on Sunday after a popular run.
Sophisticated motion sensors in the the 460m2 space ensured the downpour stops only in the precise position where people are detected.
The creators say the set-up afforded visitors the sensation of being able to control the elements.
Demand was so high Moma officials frequently had to close the queue to new entrants before noon.
The museum has increased access by offering people the option of avoiding the long lines by viewing the installation from the side, without walking directly below the rain area.
And, in a rare exception, the installation was open until midnight on Sunday, the last day of the New York run that began on May 12.
About 70,000 visited the piece — a remarkable feat given that only 10 people are allowed in at a time, and they stay there for several minutes.
Among the visitors last week was Braz- ilian Luciano Neves, who waited four hours for the privilege, he said.
Although Neves described the technology behind the display as ‘‘quite amazing’’, he acknowledged it was not completely flawless. ‘‘I got a bit wet because you have to walk to the rain to stop it.’’
Another visitor, @CallieNYC tweeted: ‘‘7 hours of waiting in line but we finally made it into the Rain Room at the Moma!’’ Random International’s website describes Rain Room as ‘‘a carefully choreographed downpour — a monumental work that encourages people to become performers on an unexpected stage, while creating an intimate atmos- phere of contemplation’’.
Moma billed the interactive installation, which enjoyed similar success when it was first showcased at London’s Barbican Centre in a five-month run from October last year, as having a broader relevance.
‘‘The work invites visitors to explore the roles that science, technology and human ingenuity can play in stabilising our environment,’’ it said.
Whatever the meaning of the installation, visitors have revelled in throwing shapes inside it for photographic souvenirs of an experience one critic described as akin to ‘‘playing God’’.