:: Shanghai is the next stop for A Nice Set, a traveling exhibition of customized slipmats designed by leading artists from around the world. Presented by NeochaEDGE and Jellymon, A Nice Set | Shanghai will feature slipmat designs from international artists as well as the first showing of original slipmat designs from emerging Chinese artists. Further integrating the music + art theme, a set of Aerial7 headphones will receive a custom-design treatment by Chinese artists and displayed at the exhibition.

A Nice Set | Shanghai exhibition will open at 7:30 PM on September 12th at SOURCE’s gallery space, and run until September 28. Original slipmats, reproductions, IdN’s commemorative book, and custom-designed Aerial7 headphones will all be available for sale throughout the exhibition. // AjS

Exhibition Opening Party :: Sept 12, 2009, 19:30

Exhibition Dates :: Sept 12 – Sept 28, 2009

Location :: SOURCE (158 Xinle Road, Near Donghu Road)

Participating Artists ::

China

Raylei, B6, Tyakasha, Yan Wei, Nini Sum, Jellymon, Kidplastik, Chairman, Shinjil, 96k, Rubberpixy

International

Asif Mian, Ben Loiz & Carolina Chaves, Bob Kronbauer, Build, Carlos Rodriguez, David Ellis, Genevieve Gauckler, Gerry Villareal, Harmen Liemburg, Hanna Werning, Hort, Ian Wright, Ian “Swifty” Swift, Jeff Staple, Jeff Zimmermann, Jenni Kim, Jeremy Hollister, Jeremyville, Maki Kawakita, Marc Atlan, Ray Smith, Republic of Regina, Stephen Bliss, Judy Wellfare, Kai and Sunny, Kenn Sakurai, Kustaa Saksi, Luca Ionesco, Maceo Villareal, Stephan “Maze” Georges, Timothy Saccenti, Universal Everything, Value and Service, Yuko Shimizu and many more

What is a slipmat?

A slipmat is a circular piece of felt material that DJs use on turntables to manipulate a record.

The Concept ::

Just as DJs sample the work of many musicians into the new mixes, visual artists tap into their own cultural surroundings, sampling the influences they have accumulated and integrate them into their work. Both the visual artist and the DJ can be seen as “selectors” who draw inspiration from their respective environments, as well as its trends and fads, with the finished product of a painting or a mix being their interpretation of the world around them.

First conceptualised by Jeremy Hollister of New York creative studio Plus et Plus and Jeff Staple of Staple Designs and The Reed Space, A Nice Set invites leading artists to customize a pair of blank slipmats with dimensions of the canvas as their only constraints.

The Artists ::

The selection of participating artists for A Nice Set is not based on any universal visual aesthetic, but rather on talent, uniqueness and a passion for music – in both the work and the lives of the chosen artists.

Since its debut in Hong Kong, A Nice Set has been on tour for the past three years, travelling from Tokyo to Spain, Paris, Australia and Singapore hitting Shanghai this September. In each city, a selection of local talent is chosen to be included in each exhibition alongside the original collective. The works of the local artists then travel to the next city of the tour, ever expanding global pool of customized designs.

Organizers ::

NeochaEDGE

NeochaEDGE is a full-service idea and execution house passionate about helping clients understand, engage, and co-create with Chinese creative communities, trendsetters, and youth culture opinion leaders.

NeochaEDGE is a daily-curated, bilingual website and discovery engine dedicated to showcasing leading-edge creative content and emerging youth culture in China.

NeochaEDGE is a product of Neocha.com, an online community and social network that empowers Chinese creatives to promote their work, collaborate with other creatives, and engage with fans.

Jellymon

Jellymon / JMGS is a multi-discipline design studio that creates Artwork, Toys, Fashion, Lifestyle products, Branding, Creative Direction. Jellymon was set up by Lin Lin and Sam Jacobs. The pair met at Chelsea School of Art in 2002 and have been working together ever since. Jellymon is about art and products with a fun and thoughtful twist. JMGS works closely with brands and advertising agencies. The projects we work on are very wide ranging but most focus mainly on the Youth Market.

Sponsors ::

Aerial7

Aerial7 was founded in 2008 based on the idea that great sound can be combined with awesome, eye-catching design. Our headphones are influenced by our devotion to art, streetwear, action sports, and DJ culture. They deliver unsurpassed audio quality in models that are as much a statement of individualism as they are a practical necessity.

Vedett

Vedett is a premium Belgian beer brand with a somewhat different attitude; taking itself not too serious (except when it comes to quality, then we’re damn serious!), a bit quirky, modest, not telling you what to do or how to behave.

:: taken in Shanghai on Anfu Rd.  // AjS

:: taken in Shanghai on Maoming Rd. near Nanjing West Rd.; a soon-to-be chai’d building.  // AjS

:: taken this weekend in Shanghai; rainy days.  // AjS

:: taken in Shanghai on Dagu Rd.; wires being sifted and sorted by a garbage recycler.  // AjS

:: taken in the lobby of my apartment complex in Shanghai. A box for “needed repairs” (left) and complaints / recommendations (right). Look quite jiong-y if you ask me.  // AjS

:: taken in Pudong, Shanghai with my iPhone while I was waiting at a red light. The Shanghai Financial Center and the Jin Mao Tower – my two favorite buildings in Asia.  // AjS

:: taken at the Shimen Yi Rd. subway station in Shanghai.  // AjS

:: taken recently at a market in Shanghai. A shelf full of pigs feet. // AjS

:: the below “thing” showed up at the Neocha.com studio a couple weeks ago – at first I didn’t know what it was, but it didn’t take me long to fall in love. It’s part funky plastic casing, part string-bound book, and part pixel-art USB rabbit – there is some Styrofoam-like substance and a magnet in there as well. It was gifted to us from W+K Shanghai and is essentially a credentials document presenting the agency’s work in China for 2008. The book is full of what books should be full of – bold, compelling photos. Even without a word of text, it captures (what appears to be) the creative energy and inspiration behind W+K client campaigns. They even went as far to pre-load the pixel-art USB rabbit with cool multimedia content – a Flash presentation of 2008 W+K work, with photos and videos; and a separate video showcasing life at W+K for employees. All of us in the marketing / advertising / PR space in China should take note of this effort. I’m très impressed. Bravo, well done. Good timing too, I just lost my USB drive – I want a fucking laptop next year though, or a pair of Nikes. // AjS

:: taken in Shanghai at the intersection of Huaihai Rd. and Changshu Rd.; a 50-meter hole in the ground, part of the construction site for the city’s Line 7 subway project. Not sure if they are pipes or support beams, perhaps both. // AjS

:: see the first photo below for a recent throw-up by Shanghai’s most prolific and probably most talented graffiti writer Mr. Lan. Does anyone recognize the other pieces / tags? If so, please let me know in the comments section. These photos were taken by fifty 5-reader Roach C. in Shanghai near the Anshan Xicun subway station. Thanks for sending them my way Roach C.  // AjS

:: taken in Shanghai at the intersection of Tongren Rd. and Yanan Rd., a Faile sticker spotted on a traffic light. For those who aren’t familiar with Faile, they are a contemporary urban art collective of sorts, founded in Brooklyn, New York. You don’t see their stickers in China much, if at all. To read more about their last stop in Shanghai, link here and here.  // XD