Clips Island Series

作品賞析

Much of ZHANG Syu-Jhan’s art is animated, depicting strange, absurd worlds with unique imagery. In his Island Clips series, Zhang’s subject is a fictitious, man-made island. A gloomy, cloudy sky looms heavily above this island city, and a calm sea appears forbidding. A closer look at the nameless island reveals that it’s made up of well-known urban landmarks from around the world. But there are no traces of humanity within this assembly of landmarks; only cold lights and empty buildings, like a ghost town. Following the mechanical movements of the image, viewers can only observe this city from afar as if riding in a boat, remaining detached and separated from it. This composite island symbolizes the essence of the world’s cultures. Zhang doesn’t let us come close to the shore, though; we see nothing but desolation throughout the piece.