During her time in New York City amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Tan Mu witnessed a profound transformation of the urban landscape. The painting Isolation (2020) captures the construction of a temporary hospital at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in March 2020. Traditionally a venue for major events such as the International Auto Show, Art Fair, Functional Fabric Fair, and Cannabis World Congress and Business Expo, this 840,000-square-foot facility was swiftly repurposed as a makeshift hospital in response to the devastating effects of the Coronavirus outbreak. Tan Mu uses black-and-white monochrome to document this moment of crisis, focusing on the shift in function of urban spaces during such a specific period. Through this transformation, Tan Mu reflects on the changes of our era, offering a meditation on the physical and emotional isolation that emerged in the wake of the global pandemic.

Q: What inspired you create Isolation？

Tan Mu: The inspiration for Isolation came from the dramatic transformation of public spaces during the pandemic, particularly the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Originally designed to host large-scale exhibitions, it was repurposed as a temporary hospital in response to the overwhelming need for medical facilities. This shift not only highlighted the shortage of healthcare resources but also underscored the fragility of life in times of crisis. The temporary hospital, much like an exhibition space, was divided into individual sections, but instead of fostering openness and connection, it was marked by white curtains separating patients in isolation. This stark contrast between the open, communicative space of an exhibition and the fragmented, isolated environment of a hospital room reflects the tension between connection and disconnection—a theme that has always been central to my work. The pandemic amplified this theme, making the divisions between people more pronounced. Remarkably, the Armory Show I participated in after the pandemic was held at the same Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, though the work exhibited was not Isolation (2020). Still, the space itself had undergone a transformation, and my participation in that fair felt like a continuation of my artistic exploration. My work became a visual record of the changes the space had undergone. It also reinforced my ongoing commitment to creating art that documents and responds to the shifts in our society, grounding my work in the context of time and the evolving narrative of our collective experience.

Q: What visual language did you use to express this moment?

Tan Mu: To express this moment, I used the color and composition to highlight the contrast between the two functions of the space. The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center evokes the idea of a "white box" environment, typically used in commercial exhibition spaces. However, in the context of the pandemic, this white space becomes a stark symbol of isolation and separation, rather than communication. In the painting, I used black-and-white visual language, dividing the composition into two sides. The closed white curtains on the left and right sides frame a central passage that ultimately disappears into a black point in the middle of the painting. This central vanishing point creates a visual sense of confinement and disconnection, reflecting the transformation of a once-open venue into a space of solitude. The black-and-white color scheme reinforces the somber atmosphere, stripping the scene of any vibrant color to evoke the isolation felt during the pandemic. This approach emphasizes the emotional weight of the transformation, where the space, originally designed for communication and interaction, becomes a stark, disconnected environment.

Q: By extracting color from the original image, you evoke a specific atmosphere. How do you see color—or the lack thereof—playing a role in conveying emotion or meaning in your broader body of work?

Tan Mu: Some of my works, I have extensively explored monochrome painting, using black-and-white imagery to extract color and create an otherworldly effect. This deliberate choice serves multiple purposes across various themes. In works inspired by space and technology, such as Peek (2021), which depicts humanity’s first view of Earth from space via the V-2 rocket, or DEC’s PDP-10 (2021) and Blue Box (2021), which highlights milestones in computer history, black and white objectively reflect the technical or historical origins of the imagery. Similarly, in pieces like Bikini Atoll (2020) and Trinity Testing (2020), which draw from historical documentation of nuclear experiments, monochrome emphasizes the starkness of these moments in history. Beyond objective representation, I also use monochrome to focus attention on the subject and concept of a work. For example, in Torus (2020, 2021), Yoga Isolation (2021), and Isolation (2020), the absence of color directs viewers to themes of emotional disconnection and physical isolation, particularly during the pandemic. The extracted tones create an otherworldly atmosphere reminiscent of vintage science fiction posters, amplifying the emotional resonance of these works. Additionally, in abstract pieces like No Signal (2019) and Off (2019), black and white are used to depict the static disruption of a lost signal, visually exploring themes of technological and metaphorical disconnection. By removing the distraction of color, monochrome enhances focus and creates a timeless quality in my paintings, whether exploring historical, technological, or emotional narratives. This consistent approach reflects my broader interest in how simplicity in visual language can deepen the complexity of meaning and provoke reflection.

Q: How has your personal experience of isolation during the pandemic influenced the themes and execution of works?

Tan Mu: In March 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown, I began painting at home, as social distancing limited physical touch and communication shifted online. This environment of isolation and disconnection prompted me to reflect on these phenomena and their impact on human connection. Throughout this period, I created several works exploring personal, social, technological, and public health-related themes. These included pieces like Philadelphia (2020)， Minneapolis (2020), Thermal Imaging (2022), and Touch (2022), which examine social events and the role of technology, as well as works like Isolation (2020), A Sunday Afternoon in the Park (2022) and Yoga Isolation (2022), which reflect on public spaces and the routines we adapted to during lockdown. I also explored the breakthroughs of medical technologies such as vaccines in Vaccine (2021). These works allowed me to reflect on and document the era we were living through, while also offering a way of expressing my creative drive rooted in love and humanity. Through detailed, multidimensional depictions of these themes, I hope to evoke a sense of both connection and disconnection in my audience. This approach to exploring the pandemic period mirrors my broader artistic practice, which seeks to record and comment on significant moments in history, whether through technology, events, or everyday life.