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Algy Batten, co-founder of The Art of Ping Pong, reveals the element of surprise that their wall-mounted artwork offers. In just seconds, it transforms into a ping-pong table, leaving customers amazed. The best part? When it’s on the wall, it doesn’t give away its true purpose, leading to comments on the art itself. Then, the big reveal happens.
Batten, a graphic designer who has a history of organizing ping-pong tournaments, including turning his agency meeting table into center court and hosting Friday-night tournaments in his garage, partnered with his wife Caroline Moorhouse to launch AoPP in 2012. Their mission: to inject playfulness into art. AoPP has now expanded globally, with their products being sold in renowned stores such as Riyadh’s Harvey Nichols, Neiman Marcus in the US, and Beymen in Istanbul.
Batten expresses his desire to create art that people can engage with, connect over, and have fun with. The collection includes vibrant tables (£1,200), nets (starting from £165), bats (starting from £26), and balls (£9.99). These ArtTables are made in Europe using high-quality birch plywood and are hand-finished by Batten and Moorhouse in their East London studio. Additionally, they collaborate with artists to produce limited-edition bats and tables. Last year, they collaborated with Yayoi Kusama and M+ on a set of editioned bats, currently selling for $3,280 on artsy.net. This month, AoPP unveils a full limited-edition collection with André Saraiva, a renowned graffiti artist. A collaboration with French artist Malika Favre is set to be released next year.
Since 2012, Batten has organized numerous exhibitions and charity auctions featuring one-of-a-kind bats and tables decorated by artists and illustrators. Through these events, AoPP has raised over £35,000 for charitable causes, including recent contributions of £6,000 to Choose Love and the Civic Centre in Barnsley, featuring works by notable artists such as Jeremy Deller and Gavin Turk. One of the early auctioned tables, illustrated by Mr Doodle, was purchased by a private client and has since made its way to the US. One of the two bats he illustrated was sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong for HK$88,200 (approximately £8,800), after originally being sold for £400. Batten expresses his love for discovering talented artists before they gain widespread recognition.
Aside from the potential investment value, there’s no denying the priceless value of an excellent party trick when friends come over. Simply take your artwork off the wall, unfold the legs, attach the net, and enjoy a lively game of doubles. And if you happen to have Yayoi Kusama bats, it’s the cherry on top.
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