Publication

 Exhibition catalogue for Tan Mu: Signal, featuring essays by Nick Koenigsknecht, Li Yizhuo, and Sophie Steiner.

Limited editions are available, each with a unique drawing by Tan Mu.

Read online.

The catalog details the Signal exhibition at BEK Forum, a collaboration featuring the paintings of artist Tan Mu. This series focuses on the undersea telecommunication cables that form the hidden, physical backbone of our global digital society. Through a combination of oil and acrylic painting, Mu transforms these industrial infrastructures into “digital constellations” that represent the intersection of geography, technology, and human connection.

The book also includes a related musical performance titled Everything on the Line, which used blue yarn to physically link performers and the audience, mirroring the connectivity of the submarine networks. Contributions from art historian Li Yizhuo and curator Nick Koenigsknecht provide further context on the project’s conceptual origins and its exploration of technological fragility. Ultimately, the collection highlights how invisible global systems shape collective memory and personal interactions across the planet.