IDLEBEATS

THE FIRST INDEPENDENT SCREEN-PRINTING STUDIO IN CHINA, IDLEBEATS IS DEDICATED TO THE CREATION OF SOULFUL SCREEN-PRINT ART. FOUNDED IN SHANGHAI IN 2009 BY NINI SUM AND GREGOR KOERTING, IDLEBEATS NEVER CEASES TO EXPLORE THE NATURE AND POSSIBILITY OF THE SILKSCREEN MEDIUM AND IS ALSO AN EXPERT IN HOSTING SILKSCREEN WORKSHOPS, PRINTING SHOWS AND EXPERIMENTAL LIVE PRINT MAKING EVENTS. 

Could you tell us about your new Real Big City series of prints?
Idlebeats: Sure! The REAL BIG CITY series attempts to gain an objective view on the phenomena of the sprawling metropolis as a postmodern life environment. It’s playing with classic Cyber Punk imagery such as gloomy architectural sights of a fictional megacity and snapshots of its habitants seemingly lost in crime, isolation and desperate decadence. Though the nightmarish picture of a depressing dystopia also features the hope for individual freedom, multicultural equality and a new social consciousness this near future urban reality may bring.

 

 

What is it about the medium of screen-printing that you find most appealing? Multilples? Layers? Flexibility? Format? All of the above?
Idlebeats: Screen-printing provides latitude for experimentation and the ability to make  multiples, and with the basic technique one can explore the unlimited graphic  nature of the medium. It’s one of the most contemporary art languages, a  combination of human touch and industrial reproduction, an attitude of  maintaining individuality and independent thinking in this era of assimilation  and depersonalization.

 

 

Have you both had a lifelong interest in the visual arts? How were you introduced to printmaking?
Idlebeats: Yes. I (Nini) first knew about printmaking in college classes and remember just simply enjoying making my drawings into dope prints. Besides printmaking, I also did oil painting, sculpture, album covers and even web designs. Now I’m trying to bring my focus back into screen-printing more. Gregor had been designing posters for local bands in his hometown Dresden, and one day a friend introduced him to screen-printing. That’s the day his print making journey started. He’s also a great painter, illustrator and installation builder.

 

 

Where does the inspiration for most of your imagery come from?
Idlebeats: Daily life I’d say, thoughts about the happenings around us.

 

 

Would you describe Shanghai as having a fairly established poster culture? Are there others like you postering-up the city as well?
Idlebeats: Not really; there’s not enough unique stuff around. Several years ago we made some posters for Handsome Furs’ Shanghai gig and pasted several around the neighborhood, though most of them disappeared the next morning, thanks to the super productive communist street cleaning army.

What are you working on currently? What’s on deck waiting to be screened and what can we look forward to?
Idlebeats: We are  currently  busy preparing for the 2nd edition of the “Tale Of Two Cities” screen print exhibition, a series of Silk Screen Print Art exhibitions we initiated in 2015 that  feature the latest works of two studios – IdleBeats and one from a different city in the world. Persistence, consistency, innovation and the free expression of  one’s own root culture are the common qualities these exhibitions share.

Idlebeats: Last year we found great success exhibiting together with FrenchFourch studio from Paris, and this year we have the  honor  of having Sticky Fingers from Phnom Penn Cambodia on board. For now we are busy working on our own new  series – Gregor’s 2nd chapter for Real Big City and Nini’s new portrait series – as we are always aiming to show new works at each year’s “Tale Of Two Cities” exhibit. This year the opening date is set for  Dec 3^rd, 2016.  Creating + printing + exhibition planning and curating can really take three whole months, so we are on fire already!

 

www.idlebeats.com
facebook.com/idlebeatsstudio
instagram.com/idlebeats_china