Synapse (2023) explores the dynamic and intricate nature of synaptic transmission, where information flows between neurons through a complex interplay of chemicals and electrical signals. The painting captures this process with luminous hues of blue and yellow, symbolizing the vibrancy and energy of neuronal communication. Neurotransmission occurs between synaptic boutons and synaptic bodies, with neurotransmitters carrying signals that are then transmitted via electrical impulses to receiving neurons. This continuous flow forms neural networks, enabling brain functions such as thinking, perception, and memory. Unlike computers, which have limited computing power, the brain is highly adaptable and evolved to process complex information and recognize patterns. In this way, the brain functions like an efficient computer, using electrical signals for data transmission and synapses for information storage and processing. Tan Mu offers a visual interpretation of the brain's remarkable ability to simulate, store, and process information.

Q: What inspired you to explore the synaptic process as the subject of Emergence?

Tan Mu: I have long been fascinated by the brain and the individual neurons that give rise to thought and memory, which informed earlier works such as MRI (2021) and Emergence (2022). As I continued this exploration, my attention shifted toward the synapse, a critical structure within the nervous system. The synapse is where communication happens, allowing signals to pass from one neuron to another or to a target cell.

What fascinates me is that this transmission is not a direct connection. There is a microscopic gap, the synaptic cleft, between neurons. When an electrical signal reaches the end of a neuron, it triggers the release of neurotransmitters that cross this gap and bind to receptors on the next cell. This moment of transmission exists between connection and separation. It operates like an on and off switch.

This biological process closely mirrors my ongoing interest in memory, especially the way memories form, dissolve, and reconfigure over time. Synapse reflects on this fragile space where information is passed, interrupted, or transformed. It becomes a metaphor for how thought and memory are never fixed, but continuously negotiated through moments of connection and disconnection.

Q: In Synapse, you compare the brain to a highly efficient computer. How do you understand this analogy in relation to technological advancement?

Tan Mu: My work often explores the intersection of biological and technological systems through what I think of as a fabric of memory. I distinguish between internal memory and external memory. Internal memory refers to the body’s own systems of storage and transmission, such as neurons and neural networks. External memory refers to infrastructures that preserve and transmit collective human knowledge, including data centers and undersea fiber optic cables.

In Synaptic (2023), I draw a parallel between synaptic connections in the brain and logic circuits in computers. Both depend on simple switching mechanisms that determine whether information flows or stops. This logic underlies both neural communication and digital computation. In this sense, the brain’s network resembles global communication systems, where nodes, pathways, and thresholds govern the movement of information.

This analogy also extends to hardware. A motherboard functions through distributed circuits and control points that regulate electrical currents, not unlike synaptic junctions within the brain. Across works such as MRI (2021), Memory (2019), Emergence (2022), Emergence 2 and 3 (2024), Logic Circuit (2022), the Signal series, and Synaptic (2023), I approach these parallels emotionally rather than mechanically. Together, they form an ongoing inquiry into memory, connection, and disconnection across biological and technological systems.

Q: Do you see parallels between the human brain and the evolving capabilities of artificial intelligence?

Tan Mu: I have always intuitively sensed a deep connection between the human brain and artificial intelligence. This intuition was reinforced when I encountered the research paper The Geometry of Concepts: Sparse Autoencoder Feature Structure. The paper offered a scientific framework that closely aligns with the ideas I have been exploring visually.

It describes how large language models process information in ways that resemble specialized regions of the human brain, such as those involved in image recognition or logical reasoning. The concept of a universe of concepts forming a point cloud structure was especially compelling to me. This structure describes how knowledge is distributed across multidimensional space. What struck me was how similar this pattern is to structures found in the brain, in atomic systems, and even in the organization of galaxies across micro, meso, and macro scales.

This hidden structural similarity is something my paintings attempt to intuitively reveal. From Atom (2020) to MRI (2021) and Gaze: Observable Infinity (2024), my work visualizes connections between atoms, neural systems, and abstract fields of knowledge. Over time, I realized that the mathematical frameworks emerging from AI research closely resemble the visual logic I had been developing, adding a deeper layer to the dialogue between science and my practice.

Q: The vibrant blue and yellow tones in Synapse are striking. Do these colors carry specific meaning for you?

Tan Mu: In Synapse, the contrast between blue and luminous yellow is central to how I visualize neural communication. The yellow represents neurotransmitters crossing the synaptic gap and activating receptors on the receiving neuron. It marks the precise moment when chemical signals become electrical impulses, enabling communication to continue.

Blue forms the structural environment of the neurons themselves, grounding the composition while allowing the yellow to appear almost alive. This contrast highlights both the precision and the vitality of the synaptic process. Beyond its scientific reference, the color pairing evokes other natural systems. It recalls glowing marine organisms and distant galaxies, suggesting parallels between biological networks and cosmic structures.

Through these colors, I want to convey both the fragility and the beauty of neural communication. They invite viewers to consider the vast networks operating within their own bodies while drawing connections to larger, unseen systems that shape life and the universe.