Responding to the brief of creating a portable pétanque set, French designer Antoine Chauvin was inspired by a nautical aesthetic to create his traveling playing ground. Part of swimwear brand Vilebrequin’s new series of summer-infused games (which includes beach paddles and a bilboquet among other items), this set is imagined as the frame for a game of pétanque, to take place in a Parisian park or on a beach in Saint Barthelemy (and anywhere in between). Through its products, the French brand has been championing the ’art of living in the sun’ mixed with a sense of togetherness ever since it first launched in 1971, and these new pieces add a further playful element to its history.
The collapsible kit features aluminium and nautical rope in varying shades of green and blue. The 12-meter playing field is marked by flags bearing the brand’s traditionally summery motifs and patterns, and the brand’s turtle logo is stamped on the blue and silver boules. ‘Trough the tense structure I tried to phrase the fragile feeling of freedom, of creating intimacy in a public space’ explains Chauvin, an ECAL graduate whose work has been recently celebrated by Toulon’s Design Parade.
His flat-packed design is intended to be universal, to be used, sent or moved by anyone, and his design approach was informed by the universality of the game: ‘Pètanque can include everyone, of all ages. It has a sense of meeting between people, of discovering your neighbourhood and make friends’ he continues. Including two telescopic masts, stackable edging, rigging, a fastening kit, and fold-away flags, the kit is ready for a spontaneous summer game.
A version of this article originally appeared in the Summer 2020 Issue of Wallpaper* – which is available to download for free here
INFORMATION
-
Prodrive updates its sleek racing simulator with new craft and fresh techRace at home in style with the latest version of Prodrive’s racing simulator, now equipped with Bang & Olufsen sound
-
A local architect’s guide to Joshua TreeMirtilla Alliata di Montereale shares her favourite things to do to slow down, look closely, and discover Joshua Tree through a more intentional lens
-
Art meets perfume in cross-disciplinary fragrance series Nez 1+1Talents from film and fragrance come together to create Ansongo, the latest scent resulting from a creative matchmaking project by perfume revue Nez
-
The original Ligne Roset factory has been transformed into an exhibition spaceRe-christened Studio 1860, the factory was bought by the founder of the French furniture brand in 1892, and will now house rare Ligne Roset pieces, among other uses
-
AAU Anastas and Tomoko Sauvage create a symphony of glass and sound at Ruinart's domain in ReimsWallpaper* speaks to Palestinian architects AAU Anastas about their glass and sound installation at Ruinart and looks back on a pivotal year
-
Formafantasma’s biodiversity-boosting installation in a Perrier Jouët vineyard is cross-pollination at its bestFormafantasma and Perrier Jouët unveil the first project in their ‘Cohabitare’ initiative, ‘not only a work of art but also a contribution to the ecosystem’
-
First look: ‘Christofle, A Brilliant Story’ is a glittering celebration of silver across two centuriesA landmark Christofle exhibition opens today at Paris’ Musées Des Arts Décoratifs and is the first monographic show dedicated to French silverware house
-
Mosaic Factory and Zyva Studio’s new furniture collection is inspired by cartoonsThe Mosaic Factory x Zyva furniture collection is an ode to cartoons and the 1980s, its terrazzo tiles’ confetti-like detail nodding to the Memphis design movement
-
A new exhibition looks at preparing for a post-apocalyptic landscape (and other catastrophes)‘We Will Survive' at Mudac in Lausanne, introduces us to the ‘prepper movement’, and demonstrates that we are a resilient species. Or we are doing our utmost to be as prepared as is humanly possible for disasters of all scales
-
Politics, oil crises and abortion rights infiltrate the optimistic 1970s interiors of Villa BenkemounFor the 50th anniversary of Villa Benkemoun in Arles, a new exhibition critically explores the year of 1974 through contemporary and historic artworks that antagonise the optimism of its design
-
Marion Vignal on curating sensation-oriented experiences in 20th century French interiors at Maison BernardMarion Vignal's non-profit Genius Loci seeks to discover new insights and reflections on heritage through artistic site specific experiences
