Hung Tonga-Hung Ha'apai, a submarine volcano in the South Pacific, began erupting on December 20, 2021. Four weeks later, on January 15, 2022, the eruption reached a dramatic climax with an enormous explosion recorded by modern instruments. The event caused extensive damage to undersea cables in the surrounding area, severing Tonga's communication with the rest of the world. This disconnection highlighted for Tan Mu the critical role undersea cables play in global information transmission and modern society's reliance on them. Far from being mere physical infrastructure, these cables form the backbone of global connectivity. Five weeks after Tonga's network communication was restored, Tan Mu created Eruption (2022) to replicate and document imagery of Hung Tonga-Hung Ha'apai. At the heart of the painting is a mushroom cloud from the volcanic eruption, shrouding Tonga. Two intersecting lines form a cross, representing the overhead perspective of meteorogram and satellite . This work employs visual language to contemporarily document the event, echoing how modern audiences witnessed the explosion unfolding through screens and media coverage. It invites reflection on the role of technology in shaping contemporary life and explores the profound meanings of connection and disconnection in our interconnected world.

Q: What drew you to focus on the volcanic eruption of Hunga Tonga Hunga Haʻapai as a subject for your work?

Tan Mu: I grew up by the sea, and my relationship with the ocean has always been central to my life. I am a freediver, and much of my thinking is shaped by direct physical engagement with the marine environment. At the time of the Tonga eruption, I had been planning a trip to Tonga to dive with humpback whales. When the volcano erupted, the explosion severed the country’s undersea cables, cutting off all communication with the outside world.

What struck me most was not only the scale of the natural event, but the sudden disappearance of information. The undersea eruption completely isolated the islands, preventing the world from knowing the extent of damage or casualties for nearly a month. This moment of total disconnection made me acutely aware of how fragile our global communication systems are. I felt an immediate urgency to document this event as it unfolded, not only as a natural disaster, but as a rupture in the invisible infrastructure that connects the world.

My sensitivity to this event is also deeply personal. My grandfather was a marine engineer involved in port construction and land reclamation projects. Growing up around marine engineering gave me an early understanding of how human systems interact with the ocean. When Tonga went silent, I instinctively understood the significance of the undersea cables being cut. That realization became the emotional and conceptual foundation for this work.

Q: The cross shape in the painting suggests a satellite or aerial perspective. What led you to adopt this mode of observation?

Tan Mu: My grandfather was also a meteorologist, and I lived with him during my childhood. Every day, he taught me how to read weather maps, analyze cloud formations, and understand atmospheric systems. Through him, I developed an early habit of observing the world from above, through contour lines, satellite imagery, and abstract visual systems that translate natural phenomena into data.

This way of seeing profoundly shaped my artistic perspective. I have always been fascinated by satellite views, mapping systems, and technological ways of observing the Earth. I see technology as an extension of the human body. Tools such as satellites, microscopes, MRI scanners, and telescopes expand our vision beyond natural limits, allowing us to perceive scales and distances that were previously inaccessible.

In this work, the satellite perspective is not just a visual choice, but a conceptual one. It reflects how contemporary events are increasingly witnessed through technological mediation. The cross form suggests a point of observation, a moment of alignment between natural forces and human systems of measurement and surveillance.

Q: This painting records a historical event through a contemporary technological lens. How do you see the role of art in documenting such moments?

Tan Mu: I often think of myself as a human printer and an archaeologist. For me, painting is a way to give physical form to collective memory. Art creates objects that endure beyond the speed of digital media, allowing moments to be revisited long after they have passed.

A recurring idea in my practice is that art should document the present while remaining open to the future. Each painting functions as a time stamp, recording not just what happened, but how it was perceived, mediated, and remembered. As time moves forward, the meaning of these works continues to evolve, allowing future viewers to reflect on the conditions and systems that shaped our era.

In this sense, painting is not simply representation. It is a method of preservation, interpretation, and slow reflection in contrast to the immediacy of news and data streams.

Q: How does Eruption connect to your broader exploration of undersea cables and infrastructural systems?

Tan Mu: Eruption marked a turning point in my practice. It was the beginning of my sustained exploration of undersea cables as critical global infrastructure. This work introduced the dual themes of connection and disconnection that have since become central to my work.

After this painting, I began researching the physical structure of undersea cables, their material composition, and their role in transmitting information across continents. This research led to works such as Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas and later evolved into the Signal series, where I shifted from depicting cross sections of cables to mapping entire global networks.

Through these works, undersea cables become both physical objects and symbolic systems. They represent not only technological infrastructure, but also the fragile threads that bind global communication, memory, and power. Eruption stands at the origin of this investigation, capturing the moment when a natural force exposed the vulnerability of human connectivity.