Walk through a downpour without getting wet

The combination of technology and art is always fascinating when done well. The Rain Room, a new installation at The Barbican‘s Curve Gallery in London is a beautiful combination of the two that’s also interactive.

The Rain Room allows you to walk through a simulated downpour that moves to surround you without actually soaking you.

You move through the installation in a cylindrical void, surrounded by a wall of falling water, as if your body is giving off some kind of invisible magnetic field.

The installation has gotten favorable reviews so far from critics in both the UK and abroad.

What sets this apart from a standard art installation, though, is the intention behind it. It’s part art, part psychological experiment. The design team, UK-based rAndom International, aims to study visitors’ behavior as they move through the installation, surrounded by a rain shower but not getting wet.

The project is being done in conjunction with cognitive scientist Philip Barnard, who has been working to analyze the relationship between people and new technologies.

Check out the video below for a closer look at this awesome installation.

Do art and technology make interesting bedfellows? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Featured image Rain image via Shutterstock.

Cameron Chapman

Cameron Chapman is a freelance writer and designer from New England. You can visit her site or follow her on Twitter.