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Last month, Los Angeles-based artist James de Wulf showcased something unexpected at Design Miami.Paris. Planted in the design fair’s outdoor garden was an aluminum ping pong table, its edges jagged and its metallic surface shimmering in the sun. At first glance, the structure seemed unassuming; but, upon being hit by a ping pong ball, its conceit quickly became apparent.
Aptly titled Resonating Ping Pong Table, Song No. 1, the project cleverly combines play, sound, and physical engagement. Being composed of aluminum plates, de Wulf’s ping pong table “sings” whenever it’s struck, emitting a meditative peal not unlike that of a gong or a bell. The plates correspond to different notes in an A Minor Pentatonic scale, ensuring that each game results in a distinct musical experience depending on a player’s speed, position, strength, and rhythm. The work also incorporates specially designed racquets and a rubber ball, ensuring that the table’s vibrations resonate clearly into the air. For those interested in a quiet game, however, a foam ball is supplied as well.
Notably, Resonating Ping Pong Table serves a dual purpose. Featuring a removable net, the sculpture can easily transform from a ping pong to a dining table. Even when used for meals, the surface reacts to movement and touch, chiming as cutlery grazes over it or when plates are set down upon it.
This isn’t the first time that de Wulf has turned his eye to ping pong tables. As part of his recent Flowerchild series, the artist produced Petal Ping Pong, complete with bubbly edges and bulbous legs inspired by floral motifs. For his Block series, he created a monumental concrete and stainless steel table, clocking in at an astonishing 900 pounds. For de Wulf, it’s as though the ping pong table sits at the intersection of several themes, resembling both an art and functional object. In other words, playing ping pong or dining upon these tables is an artistic act in and of itself—and an inherent part of de Wulf’s creative vision and intention. Here, de Wulf suggests, aesthetics and functionality are indistinguishable from one another.
“I designed it as a joke to get attention at a trade show,” de Wulf said of the first ping pong table he designed. “At the time, I had no idea that everyone loves ping pong—from 8-year-olds to 80-year-olds, it puts a smile on everyone’s face. Plus, it’s super-healthy for your brain.”
To learn more about the artist and Resonating Ping Pong Table, visit James de Wulf’s website.
For this year’s Design Miami.Paris, James de Wulf created an aluminum ping pong table that “sings” whenever it’s struck.
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James de Wulf: Website | Instagram
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