A friend and I visited the Tate Modern today to see the Tracey Emin exhibition. I think the best way to describe it is “challenging.” It was challenging in terms of the themes and the personal history behind the art, but also in the physical experience of the show itself.

There weren’t many information panels near the works. Instead, there was an audio guide. We discovered that if we played the audio, turned the volume down, and turned on the subtitles, we could read the commentary instead of wearing headphones. However, that meant we spent a lot of time staring at our phones rather than the art. It felt like an odd way to get the context we needed.

The guide itself explained the choice:

We’ve made this audio guide for you because this exhibition has fewer texts on the wall than many exhibitions you’ll have encountered before. And this is largely because Tracey’s own work is full of words.

That created its own set of hurdles. Reading Tracey’s handwriting on the blankets, the chair, and the various documents was difficult with the crowds. There were also “no-go” zones around some pieces. I lost count of the number of times a warning beep went off because someone leaned in too far, followed by a steward’s cry of “Keep away from the artwork!”

I noticed a man walking around with two primary school-aged children, which surprised me. Given the heavy themes of sex, abortion, and cancer, it definitely felt like an exhibition intended for an older audience.

I didn’t find it an easy visit and I won’t be going back, but I am glad I went.