View from the members bar balcony, looking up at the Tate Modern chimney

When my Dad died I used some of the money he left me to buy lifetime membership of the National Trust. Whenever we visit one of the properties, there’s always a refrain of “Thanks Dad”. I love this. I feel it keeps him present in my life.

Recently I sold some shares that my Mum had been given when one of the banks merged. The registrar had introduced a cheaper way to sell the handful we owned, and it was enough to buy a year’s membership of the Tate. So I did.

Yesterday I took my new membership out for an outing and visited the Light and Magic exhibition.

Smoky World, 1959, by Fan Ho. A woman walks down misty stairs towards the camera while a man climbs away from her, beneath UP and DOWN signs. This is also the poster image for the exhibition

Misty World, 1961, by Fan Ho. A man stands with his hand raised to his face while people climb misty stairs behind him

On the Stage of Life, c.1954, by Fan Ho. Three silhouetted figures in lit windows against a dark facade

I was taken with these three Fan Ho photos, including Smoky World, which is the exhibition’s poster image. Beautifully displayed, and I liked the sense of movement in them all.

Construction, 1958, by Peng Seng Wu. A worker silhouetted among black and grey scaffolding poles

I loved the form of this one, Construction by Peng Seng Wu, which felt very well titled.

Behind the Curtain, c.1957, by Gertrudes Altschul. Overlapping leaf skeletons in black and cream, layered to form the curtain of the title

Behind the Curtain by Gertrudes Altschul caught my eye too.

I then decided to visit one of the open-to-all exhibitions and was drawn in by Gathering Ground.

Silver coloured trumpets emerge from the ceiling

Musical pans plugged into pipes at the side of the room

Wider view of instruments emerging from the floor and the ceiling on the left hand side, and the wall on the right

I was particularly enchanted by Begin Again (2025) by Abbas Zahedi. The information panel says:

Instruments and playback devices, made from recycled materials, have been plugged into Tate Modern’s utility pipes and deeper architecture. Zahedi invites visitors to tune in to the site, engaging in what he describes as ‘seismic resonance’ - a dynamic interplay between sound, body and space

I sat beneath the trumpet spider for a while, enjoying the sounds surrounding me.

Hold (2026) by Tarek Atoui in the Turbine Hall, seen from the floor with my knees in the foreground, looking up at hanging drums, lamps and bamboo pipes

I finished my visit in the Turbine Hall with Tarek Atoui’s Hold, lying on a piece of rock and letting another set of sounds wash over me and through me.

As I left the Tate Modern I was delighted to say a quiet “Thanks Mum”.