NO SIGNAL (2019) explores the intersection of cosmic phenomena and modern technology through the enigmatic nature of TV white noise. Tan Mu captures the random, snowflake-like patterns that appear when a television loses its signal—a visual metaphor for the universe’s origins. Often dismissed as mere interference, this static contains cosmic microwave background radiation, an ancient echo of the Big Bang that occurred approximately 13.8 billion years ago. As a remnant of the universe’s birth, it connects us to the distant past, symbolizing the continuous expansion of energy from that primordial explosion. This artwork invites viewers to contemplate the vastness of time and space, linking cosmic history with everyday technological experiences. In an era where digital clarity has replaced analog static, NO SIGNAL evokes nostalgia for a time when lost transmissions revealed hidden traces of the cosmos. It reminds us that even the most mundane glitches can unveil profound connections to the universe, underscoring humanity’s relentless pursuit of understanding the cosmos and our place within it.

Q: NO SIGNAL (2019) depicts a scene of television signal failure. Is this disconnection related to your personal experience?

Tan Mu: While the work reflects broader concerns about signal disconnection in the information age, it is also closely tied to my personal experience at that time. I was dealing with a disruption in memory following a freediving accident that temporarily caused partial memory loss. This experience pushed me to confront the relationship between memory and identity more deeply, and it opened new ways for me to think and create through fragmentation. It also heightened my sensitivity to how information and technology shape human experience. Whether it is memory loss or interrupted information flow, both reveal how technology influences the way we perceive, process, and reshape our cognition. NO SIGNAL represents a state of mental emptiness. The more than 130,000 dots on the canvas stand in for the blank spaces left by memory shutting down. They are not only visual elements but an attempt to capture the sensation of memory disconnection and to search for meaning and creativity within emptiness.

Q: How do you connect signal transmission with memory disconnection in this work?

Tan Mu: NO SIGNAL is closely related to other works from the same period, such as LOADING… and Off. All of them explore states of disconnection involving emotion, memory, and signals. Off in particular reflects a condition of complete shutdown. I often draw parallels between human memory and machine systems. Neurons transmit information in the brain much like logic circuits process signals in machines. Both rely on on and off mechanisms to regulate the flow of information, and both can malfunction. This way of thinking aligns with the idea of humans as complex machines, sharing similar hardware in the body and software in consciousness and collective memory. The relationship between humans and machines is a theme I continually return to in my work.

Q: You mentioned there are more than 130,000 dots on the canvas. Could you talk about the process and their symbolic meaning?

Tan Mu: I created these dots in 2019, spending about a week placing each one by hand, totaling approximately 130,000. The dots symbolize signals, pixels, information, white noise, and snowflakes. They reflect both the blank state of my mind at the time and the fragmentation and circulation of information in the digital era. The process itself was almost meditative. Each dot felt like a response to memory loss. Their spacing and placement were carefully calculated to establish a sense of order while still suggesting the transmission and reception of information in a digital system.

Q: How does white noise symbolize the intersection of technology and the universe in your work?

Tan Mu: White noise, especially the static that appears on a screen when there is no signal, has a deep connection to both technology and the universe. A small portion of this static comes from cosmic microwave background radiation, which is the afterglow of the Big Bang. Around 13.7 billion years ago, the universe began in an extremely hot state that emitted high energy radiation. As the universe expanded and cooled, this radiation shifted into microwaves and radio waves that still travel through space today. With the development of satellite communication, television antennas became capable of detecting traces of this radiation, which appear as static on the screen. Although this cosmic radiation accounts for only about one percent of the static, it functions as an echo of the universe’s origin, as if we are briefly seeing the beginning of the cosmos through a television screen. Most static, however, comes from terrestrial electromagnetic interference and the physical limitations of television hardware, such as antenna instability and circuit noise. This combination of cosmic origin and technological imperfection fascinates me. White noise embodies both failure and connection. It becomes an accidental bridge between human-made systems and the vastness of the universe. In NO SIGNAL, I try to capture this intersection and invite viewers to reflect on information transmission, space exploration, and humanity’s position within the cosmos. Static is not simply a visual phenomenon. It becomes a metaphor for our ongoing pursuit of the unknown.

Q: How do you see the connection between this work and your other pieces?

Tan Mu: Alongside LOADING… and Off, NO SIGNAL is closely connected to the Signal series. In the Signal series, I also use large numbers of dots to represent data packets traveling through submarine cables. These dots reflect data flow in the digital age but also point to collective human labor and global interconnectedness. In NO SIGNAL, the dots signify mental emptiness and information loss, serving as a metaphor for memory disconnection. In contrast, the dots in the Signal series represent movement, connection, and transmission. Together, these works examine different states of information, from loss to connection. This shift reflects my continued exploration of how connection and disconnection shape human experience in the information age.