LOADING…(2019) examines the digital imagery of Earth's satellite views on WeChat's opening screen. The work explores the transient nature of splash screens that briefly mask data-loading processes. Inspired by Tan Mu's personal connection to WeChat—a pivotal communication tool connecting her with family and friends in China—the painting captures the transition from NASA's Blue Marble to a Chinese satellite image. Since 2011, WeChat has become integral to Chinese daily life, representing broader digital and cultural shifts. The replacement of NASA's Earth photograph with a Chinese satellite image marks a significant transformation in geopolitical narratives and technological sovereignty, symbolized by the shifting focal point from Africa to China. The artwork invites contemplation of how technology, memory, and cultural symbolism intersect in our digital age. Through detailed artistic interpretation, it examines how instant digital imagery shapes perceptions while highlighting the evolving dynamics of global communication. LOADING...ultimately offers a nuanced perspective on the relationship between digital interfaces and cultural identity in modern connectivity.

Q: What inspired you create LOADING...?

Tan Mu: The inspiration stems from my personal journey with the evolution of technology and communication. I’ve witnessed the birth and development of Wechat, as well as the transition of its loading screen imagery—from NASA’s iconic “Blue Marble” photograph to China’s own Fengyun-4 satellite imagery. In 2006, I left home to attend high school in Beijing, and later moved to the U.S. for university in 2011. Living abroad for so many years, my emotional connections with family and friends have largely depended on digital communication. When I first arrived in the U.S., WeChat did not yet exist—it launched in 2012. Back then, I relied on prepaid international data packages and Skype. The arrival of WeChat revolutionized this experience, evolving from basic text messaging to voice notes and eventually video calls. As time went by, this technology became a crucial part of my life, helping me stay connected across continents and time zones, keeping in touch with loved ones, and sharing updates about work and daily life. In LOADING…, I began to explore the shared logic and functionality behind these now-ubiquitous tools. The loading screen, with its shifting satellite imagery, evolved into more than a technical placeholder—it became a symbol of how technology mediates identity, memory, and belonging in an increasingly interconnected yet fragmented world.

Q: Besides personal experience, how does the satellite perspective imagery in your painting relate to your artistic practice?

Tan Mu: My artistic practice has long been centered on the satellite perspective, using it as an extension of my own vision. The satellite perspective, as evidenced in my painting LOADING..., serves as a crucial lens through which I explore themes of technology, global interconnectedness, and shifts in perspective. This piece, created in 2019, is one of my early paintings exploring satellite technology, documenting the evolution of China’s space and communication advancements. LOADING… specifically reflects the symbolic shift in perspective that occurred when WeChat changed its startup screen from NASA’s Blue Marble image to one captured by China’s Fengyun-4A satellite. This shift, which occurred on September 25, 2017, was a pivotal moment. Prior to this, since 2011, WeChat had used NASA’s Blue Marble as its startup screen. The Fengyun-4A satellite is part of China's second-generation geostationary meteorological satellites, launched on December 11, 2016 after months of trial operation. This change not only highlights China’s advancements in satellite imaging but also asserts its growing influence in the global digital and technological landscape. Therefore, the satellite perspective in my work is not just about depicting a physical view from above; it's about capturing a moment of technological progress and global change in the digital age. It ties into my exploration of how technology influences our perception of the world and our place within it. The use of satellite imagery, therefore, is a direct exploration of the interplay between technological advancement and our changing view of the world.

Q: You mentioned communication or information technology as an emotional link between people. How did you explore this topic in your practice?

Tan Mu: My exploration of information and communication systems, which began with LOADING..., extends beyond the purely technological—I am deeply interested in the emotional and human dimensions embedded within these systems. LOADING... marks a pivotal moment in China’s satellite advancements and its symbolic presence in our digital lives, examining how technology acts as both a carrier and a conduit for emotions, memories, and personal experiences. These technologies do more than transmit data; they circulate emotions and navigate the interplay between connection and disconnection. Works such as NO SIGNAL, Off, and Eruption explore this complex relationship, revealing how technology can simultaneously bring people closer together while also creating barriers to communication. In my recent works, such as Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas (2023) and the Signal series, I delve into the physical infrastructure of global communication—submarine networks. The data they transmit is more than just information; it forms a vast tapestry of cultural exchange that shapes our collective memory. In my practice, I explore communication and information technology as an emotional link by examining how digital and physical infrastructures carry, transmit, connect and disconnect.

Q: How did you translate this ephemeral digital experience and emotion into the static medium of painting?

Tan Mu: In translating the fleeting digital moment of a loading screen into the permanence of painting, I sought to bridge the ephemeral and the enduring. The "loading" screen is something we encounter daily, it serves as a liminal space—an in-between moment of anticipation, waiting, and transition. By rendering it in oil on canvas, I transformed this transient digital experience into something static, tangible, and contemplative. The shift from NASA's Blue Marble to an image taken by a Chinese satellite is more than a technical update; it marks a broader transformation in our perception of the world, technology, and national identity. Through a symmetrical composition, I juxtapose these two versions, highlighting not only the evolution of technology but also the shifting geopolitical landscape. The background, seemingly uniform, is actually composed of countless layered dots—each a fragment of information, data, and memory, much like the hidden depths of our digital interactions. This painting is not just about a software interface; it is about collective memory. For millions of Chinese users, this screen has become ingrained in daily life, shaping experiences of connection, communication, and even nostalgia. By slowing down this fleeting moment and giving it material weight, I invite the viewer to reconsider the emotions, histories, and invisible structures embedded in digital interfaces.