Last night we undertook an adventure into the Monochronium at Poole Lighthouse. We lost ourselves in the paper forest. We passed a number of art works and even saw someone beginning a large work that folded over onto the floor. We say glass objects that contained tiny figures dancing in water. We marvelled at the shoes. We read the daily newspaper and eventually came to the post office where visitors were having their passports validated and stamped. Above us there was a video playing of a previous adventure and the tiny voice of Hazel Evans singing strange poetry. The Monochronium is a land far away in the mind of Hazel and her collaborators. An extraordinary piece in concept and exquisitely detailed. A strange, strange world of the imagination. For her, a land coloured only in black and white is a triumph of imagination and, indeed, last night every detail was black and white. The drinks were black or white. The food was black and white and guests were invited to wear black and white.
The Monochronium is an adventure in time as well as space and Hazel tells us that the place will grow and change and its treasures will increase. I had visited it the day before when it was solemnly quiet except for the ticking of the music. Last night, when thronged with guests it ha a completely different atmosphere. So whenever you choose to visit there will be a difference and something new every time. And when you see Hazel move through her strange world you realise just how colourful black and white can be.
