Tate Britain Blog Entry (Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle) — Using McLuhan (1964)

1. DescriptionDuring my visit to Tate Britain, I encountered a multimedia installation that combined visual imagery with an ambient soundscape. The artwork blended shifting projections with rhythmic audio patterns that echoed softly around the room. While observing the piece, I noticed how visitors were drawn into a shared sensory experience, slowing down, gathering, and quietly responding to the sound. The merging of visual and auditory elements reminded me of concepts I had previously read in McLuhan’s work.

2. FeelingsInitially, I felt somewhat disoriented by the overlapping sounds and lights. However, as I stood longer, this feeling transformed into curiosity. I became aware of how the sound shaped the communal atmosphere of the space. I felt unexpectedly connected to the other visitors, as though we were participating in a collective moment, not just individually viewing an artwork.

3. EvaluationThe experience was powerful because it contrasted with my usual way of viewing artworks silently and independently. The positive aspect was the heightened sense of social presence created by the shared sound environment. A limitation, however, was my initial discomfort—it took time for me to adapt to the sensory intensity and understand its purpose.

4. AnalysisMcLuhan (1964) describes radio as a “tribal drum,” capable of creating a shared, communal space through sound. His argument that auditory media reorganise social relations helped me understand why the installation felt communal rather than individual. Although the medium here was not radio, the rhythmic sound echoed McLuhan’s idea that audio experiences pull people together, dissolving personal boundaries and generating a collective emotional field. This interpretation helped make sense of the atmosphere the artwork intentionally produced.

5. ConclusionI realised that sound can fundamentally transform the way we engage with visual art, shifting the experience from private to communal. My understanding of the installation deepened once I connected it to theoretical media perspectives.

6. Action PlanI plan to continue linking theoretical readings to gallery experiences, and in future, approach multimedia installations with greater openness to how different sensory elements shape collective responses.

Reference (Harvard style)

McLuhan, M. (1964) Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. New York: McGraw Hill, p. 262.