About Me
My name is 詹章 Zhān Zhāng, but if you do first name first, my name would be Zhang Zhan. Although Zhang is probably one of the most popular family names in China, it is my first name. To avoid having to explain this little playful decision coming from my parents over and over again, I usually go by ZZ—the initials—simple and easy to pronounce. I also have a pseudonym—Jon, which comes in very handy when I go to Starbucks or make reservations.
Pronouns he/him/他. I am an Italy-based media artist and interaction designer.
Coming from a creative technologist background, I feed on digital technology but I also long for being surrounded by analog media. My previous works have focused on integrating new media into the music domain and bridging different media with the help of digital fabrication as well as physical computing. I am now in the transition to fine-tuning human-centered experiences through the innovation of artifacts, spaces and services, and creating interactive experiences revolving around contemporary digital cultures and rituals.
I graduated from New York University Shanghai in 2017, majoring in Interactive Media Arts and minoring in Business. My capstone project is Exposed & Interlaced – Exploring Motion in Analog and Digital. I received my Laurea Magistrale (equivalent to Master of Science) in Digital and Interaction Design at Politecnico di Milano in 2021. My thesis is Death Ritual and Mobile Media: An Examination on Existing Attempts, which investigates the existing attempts to mobilize death rituals in selected cultural contexts with relevant sociological theories and user experience design perspectives.
From 2020 to 2021, I was an artist and creative in residence in Fabrica, a creative space founded and supported by Benetton Group with renowned establishments such as COLORS magazine and more, along with other international artists and designers.
Born in Wuyuan, raised in Shanghai, I was fortunate enough to become a short-term resident of other three great cities—Prague, New York and Treviso. I am now drinking Spritz Cynar in the city of Milano, Italia.
Things I am working on ATM: @zz.aka.zhang.zhan