LACMA acquires the popular ‘Rain Room’ for its permanent collection

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.

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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.

deborah.vankin@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter: @debvankin

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