How do you give tennis ball felt a second life?
14 million tennis balls are used every year, 10% of which are recycled thanks to the "yellow ball" operation. The tennis ball is composed of an elastomer (EPDM) and a felt made from recycled textiles. The elastomer is transformed into a floor covering, but the felt has no further use and is thrown away. Mémoires d'une balle au bond aims to reveal the potential of this material, embodying its new uses in expressive objects.
Haunted by Mr. Hulot's match and the bouncing of lost balls in Jacques Tati's film Les Vacances de M. Hulot, Mémoires d'une balle au bond aims to translate the acoustic and physical qualities of tennis ball felt, through three objects:
- a sound window broadcasting a tennis match
- a seat, a soft surface obtained by successive additions of material
- a container mat molded from crushed felt and a binder containing beaten earth
Variable dimensions
Materials: tennis ball felt, balloons, wood.
Photo credits: Isabelle Daëron and Marie-Sarah Adenis
Team: Camille Jégo (intern)
With thanks to: the French Tennis Federation, Babolat, ARFP, Xavier Bonsergent, Camille Drozdz (intern), and Marie-Sarah Adenis. Commissioned by: the Ministry of Culture and Communication and the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Exhibition Secondes Vies, metamorphoses of sports equipment.
Materials: tennis ball felt, balloons, wood.
Photo credits: Isabelle Daëron and Marie-Sarah Adenis
Team: Camille Jégo (intern)
With thanks to: the French Tennis Federation, Babolat, ARFP, Xavier Bonsergent, Camille Drozdz (intern), and Marie-Sarah Adenis. Commissioned by: the Ministry of Culture and Communication and the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Exhibition Secondes Vies, metamorphoses of sports equipment.