The Tate Modern is one of my favourite spaces in London, not only because it houses one of my favourite paintings, but because of its immense space, something that is hard to come by in London. Today being a lovely sunny day we ventured forth and there in the vast Turpentine Hall sat a colossal metal exhibit which was bigger than my house. Far bigger. Made of steel it blended in with the hall, and we walked under it and round it until we came to its front. A massive black hole awaited us, and a ramp invited us in. So up we climbed and were immediately swallowed by the space and darkness. Darkness that engulfed our senses. Feeling our way around we came to the back wall, by which time our eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and we turned around to see others feeling their way in. It was strangely peaceful and the air was filled with giggles and people facing the unknown.
When we found our way out it suddenly dawned on me that it felt like we were walking out of a huge cattle truck. Later when I learnt that the exhibit was called ‘How it is’ by Miroslaw Balka a contemporary Polish artist. I wondered if it was a reference about prison camps, and hoards of people being led into trucks, not knowing where they were going, or what was going to happen to them. The darkness, the unknown, evidently haunting.