The Tate Modern had some VIP visitors from Epsom recently, including some with four legs.
The Surrey Association for Visual Impairment has been running a project to take people with visual problems out and about on various outings.
One of the Tate visitors was Carole Sharpe from Swail House, Epsom, who, with her guide dog Fran, went to inspect Miroslaw Balka’s Box of Darkness, a giant steel structure with a vast dark chamber on two metre high stilts.
Mrs Sharpe said: “Among our group the reaction was quite diverse. Some found it terrifying, some awe-inspiring and all seemed to find it thought-provoking.
“Fran, my guide dog, and I wandered beneath the structure, it felt oppressive and cold. Metallic echoes gave it an eerie feel. Fran was quite unhappy walking beneath this monstrous structure and quickly took me beyond its plane.
“We then entered the space via the ramp. The space enfolded us in a calmness; sound was absorbed by the velvety walls and soft rubberised floor.
“Being blind meant I had no problem with the blackness and, unlike most of our sighted colleagues, I had no sense of unease.”
“Fran prevented me from going into the back wall and she was confident and relaxed, being used to living without light in our home.”
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