GWENDAL LE BIHAN AND EDOUARD DANAIS’S DESIGNS TAKE TABLE TENNIS TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

What do you do at Exercice studio? Exercice is a Parisian creative studio founded in 2018 by Edouard and I (Gwendal). We are both architects but have a diverse practice. Our various projects are related to art, design and architecture, and we have an atelier where we experiment with materials and build different prototypes. How did your ping-pong project come about? We have been working on a research project based on the relationship between art and sport for a long time. A few years ago, we built a concrete billiard table for a public space, as well as a minipétanque, which is a mix between a golf course with different obstacles and a pétanque ground. We wanted to create something new, but based on a concept everybody already knows. Later on, we were invited to create playful installations for a festival and came up with different ping-pong tables. Tell us about the designs you made in collaboration with the brand NEDJ. In a previous project, we created a three-sided table based on the work of Asger Jorn as well as a ‘multipong’ table – a huge concrete ping-pong table that was also a place to meet. With this experience under our belt, we developed a product line with NEDJ that includes four specific designs: the Rebond (rebound), Golf, Trio and Tournante (rotating). In all these tables, there are no specific rules to play. Everyone has to talk to their opponents to collectively invent the fairest rules possible. What materials did you use? The structures are made of plywood panel. The tabletops are made of coloured laminated wood for hardiness and to improve the quality of the rebound. We also wanted a system that was easy to put together and take apart, so the tables are designed to be assembled in five minutes without screws or glue. What was your goal with this project? To win money. To have fun. To lose weight. In short, to build an empire. We are also working on creating a series of different shaped ping-pong paddles and making them available to the public. What kinds of projects do you enjoy working on most at Exercice? We like to work on different projects of different scales. For example, we’re currently working on a public-space project, an architecture project and a glass chair. We like to experiment. Any last words of wisdom? As George Bernard Shaw said, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” Where can we see more of your work? If you’re in Paris, you can try out the different ping-pong tables at our studio. You can also see our work online at exercice.studio and on Instagram at @_exercice_. Our range of ping-pong tables is available to purchase at nedj.fr.