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One of the first things I learn about Rainworks is that the operation is made up of two artists with fascinating names, Peregrine Church and Xack Fischer. And I will never know if those are real names or chosen ones, whatever the reason might be. There is a positive vibe in their voices that I detect in our conversation, and it reflects an open-mindedness frequently associated with the Pacific Northwest.
It allows me to switch from one topic to another and often challenge them with some provocative questions and even tasks. In the process, we revisit some of their fondest childhood memories and one of the most iconic Bob Dylan songs from his early career.
The three of us meet online from different places. Peregrine and Xack are based in Seattle, Washington, and speak to me from different locations in the city that appear to be workshops. But I get only a few glimpses of their backgrounds before we switch to audio to ensure a better connection.
Both are installation artists using one of the most prominent natural elements in Seattle as sort of a generator for their artwork, rain.
They call it 'rain-activated art', or 'Rainworks', which is the name Peregrine has chosen for the company behind the operation when he founded it. He quickly teamed up with Xack, his best friend, to realize his goal; use rain to make art appear in public spaces seemingly out of nowhere.
To make the apparent impossible come true, they use an eco-friendly chemical substance, which makes artwork appear in a city known for its long rainy winters and wonderful summers.
As a matter of fact, I have experienced all of it in Seattle and its surroundings, when I stopped by for a couple of days as part of several travel documentary projects quite a while ago.

Actually, I'm not in Seattle when I learn about Rainworks for the first time. As a matter of fact, I'm doing some online research on a seemingly unrelated topic when I sort of stumble upon their website, 'https://rain.works/'. But I end up feeling so intrigued that I browse their website for a while and, eventually, send them an email with an online interview request.

Things happen quite quickly after that; less than a day after my initial request, Peregrine gets back to me, and we set up a day and a time for an online conversation that will include his best friend and business partner, Xack. As a matter of fact, it all goes so fast that I have little time to really prepare the interview and end up dictating some questions I would want to ask Peregrine and Xack onto my smartphone while commuting on a bus the very day of the interview.
They're just sort of a guideline, and then, I usually go on from there in the course of my conversations with people. But, generally speaking, one thing I leave unchanged is the fact that all the interviews start with the usual introductions, no matter what...

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from Let's talk about it, anywhere in the world # 2: Rainworks, released April 7, 2022

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