The “DARKROOM IN USE” sign is illuminated. You knock. From the inside a voice tells you to step in. Your eyes need a moment to adjust…
A room unfolds in front of you, everything is covered in red light. You immediately feel that you entered a whole different world, a world that is quiet, peaceful, and… well, red. The air has a slight acidic taste to it. You take a look around from where you are standing. Strange objects like tongs and trays and cardboard cut-outs in the wildest shapes are scattered all over the place, silhouettes of bulky gadgetry veiled under what appears to be white linen can be made out lined up on a long, rectangular countertop that stretches from one corner to the other on a far wall across the door of the room. A huge, waist-high table in the middle, clearly the centerpiece island, has black and white prints in many different sizes widespread all over it’s white surface. Underneath it are wide, drawer-like frames with black mesh resting on metallic, angled drawer slides; the frames remind you of sieves. You feel inspired and overwhelmed at the same time. You slowly start walking your way around the huge table clockwise when !!! – you get startled by a mannequin posing in the corner. It has no head. Your eyes fall on two large, black pieces of wood particle board vertically mounted to the wall, roughly one meter apart. You assume it must be window covers. You keep walking. You pass the mysterious silhouettes. Curiosity gets the best of you and you briefly lift one of the linens to take a peek, but all you see is a flat easel with a piece of gray paper in it. On the opposite side of the particle board-wall is another long, rectangular countertop, but this one is different, it is deep. You see two faucets coming out of the wall and understand that you are looking at a long sink. In it there are four trays neatly set up next to each other, all hold a liquid of some sort. You bend down a little and make out an accumulation of reagent bottles in all kinds of sizes on a platform under the sink. A glass panel stretches on the wall right above it, stuck onto the glass two hooks with squeegees hanging from it. You turn around and prop yourself up at the island with both hands, leaning slightly forward. You feel the cool, smooth surface of the table. You stare at the prints in front of you and every single one draws you in completely. You take a deep breath… You are home.