Since the advent of the digital era, television and communication interfaces have become the most prominent means of receiving information. The information converted from digital signals can be used not only to express individual perception but also to produce and influence collective opinion. Zhan’s featured work was awarded The Creation Project for Digital Art 2012 and uses animation to express his views on contemporary Taiwanese media. The implied symbols in his work are embedded in a torn-open CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) screen. The screen is laid out to serve as a musical score allowing the conductor to lead the people in the performance of a nonsense chant. United by a contentless collective consciousness, they seem to suggest a passionate and ebullient orchestra, but are actually an absurd and bizarre gathering.
The symbols implied in Zhan’s artwork include the tongue as a metaphor for speech and the desire to control, and the conductor swinging numerous arms represents the manipulation of the media. They mock the incredible influence the media has over contemporary society and the way it stirs the emotions of the public.