random international
Art Group Random International run a collaborative studio for experimental practice within contemporary art. Founded in 2005 by Hannes Koch and Florian Ortkrass, today they work with larger teams of diverse and complementary talent out of their London and Berlin studios.
Questioning aspects of identity and autonomy in the post-digital age, the group’s work invites active participation. RANDOM INTERNATIONAL explores the human condition in an increasingly mechanised world through emotional yet physically intense experiences. The artists aim to prototype behavioural environments by experimenting with different notions of consciousness, perception, and instinct.
“Rain Room can be seen as an amplified representation of self-created environments. It’s an artwork that you inhabit, it can elicit any number of different socio-behavioural dynamics. Each iteration of the work has been altered in some intangible way by the space and context in which it has been shown, whether through the scent of the water, the fabric of the architecture, or the behaviour of the public.”
Hannes Koch and Florian Ortkrass of Random International
JACKALOPE PAVILION ST KILDA
Designed by March Studio, the approach to the temporary home of the Rain Room celebrates the transient nature of the work – constructed from standard tube and fitting scaffolding, and off-the-shelf panels, the pavilion is designed to be movable and reusable.
Jackalope Pavilion has further advanced St Kilda’s vibrancy and cultural dynamic and introduced a new demographic to one of Melbourne’s most storied suburbs. The launch of the pavilion and decision to bring Rain Room to Australia supported a key part of Jackalope’s undertaking to bring internationally significant art to Australia.
Jackalope Pavilion was awarded the 2021 National Architecture Award by the Australian Institute of Architects.
JACKALOPE ART COLLECTION
The Jackalope Art Collection was founded in 2016 by Louis Li, ahead of the group’s debut hotel opening on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. With a background in filmmaking, Li drives the collection’s curatorial concept – to present rebellious pieces as a conceptual layer in storytelling. Often immersive, these pieces are used to create transformative experiences in hospitality, taking guests on a journey through an ever-evolving world of emotions and expressions.
Art is a significant part of Jackalope’s undertaking to provide transformative and immersive experiences,” says Jackalope founder, Louis Li. “Rain Room is our most ambitious curation to date; the work represents the spirit of our hotels – an interplay between imagination, mystery and science.
The Jackalope Art Collection currently comprises international works by Olafur Eliasson, Tracey Emin and Alicja Kwade, alongside local commissions by Emily Floyd, Del Kathryn Barton and Andrew Hazewinkel.