Après Tennis Club
YGL Gallery serves up a striking and sophisticated exhibit that's sure to ace your heart.
Welcome to the YGL Gallery where you’ll find a curation of artworks, articles, and items that orbit around a common theme. Allow me to hang your coat while you waltz through the rooms below—please enjoy the show and visit again soon!
The Après Tennis Club 🎾
After the 137th edition of Wimbledon wrapped up last weekend, I thought I would take advantage of the season and put together another gallery collection. A way for us to experience the elegance and art of this event—all without leaving the comfort of our lawn chairs. I’ve spent the last week curating the finest tennis-inspired works and transforming today’s newsletter into a very relaxed racket club (where no actual physical activity happens). Open to the public and accepting new members—whether you’re a seasoned pro or a first time player—come on in, we have Evian on tap.
Witnessing a tennis match at Centre Court is definitely on my wish list of life experiences. From the sheer talent of the players, to the people watching in the stands, can you imagine taking it all in? Or maybe you’ve been before? Either way, not to worry—the all-white dress code won’t be enforced for this exhibit. Time to jump in and play, love all starts the match.
Entering the Main Gallery
“Tennis is a perfect combination of violent action taking place in an atmosphere of total tranquility.” - Billie Jean King
“Tennis uses the language of life. Advantage, service, fault, break, love – the basic elements of tennis are those of everyday existence because every match is a life in miniature.” - Andre Agassi
“You only live once, but you get to serve twice.” - Unknown
A look in the Display Case
Bronze sculpture of Wimbledon champion, William Renshaw (1910).
Slazenger Perry & Maskell wooden framed lawn tennis racket (1937).
Women’s classic tennis shoes (1890).
Tennis bracelet made with 29 yellow diamonds (2000s).
An incredible ceramic replica of the Roland-Garros trophy using clay from centre court by Jacques Monneraud (2024). The linked video makes me tear up (via Ali LaBelle).
Artist in Residence: David Shrigley
David Shrigley is a visual artist from the United Kingdom known for his deadpan humour and signature style drawings. He often uses snippets from overhead conversations to compliment his storytelling, along with bright and bold colours. Shrigley also works with sculpture, large-scale installation, animation, painting, photography and music. It was actually his Tennis Ball Exchange exhibit that caught my attention. This interactive experience first ran in January of 2022 in Mayfair, England and he has since set up another exchange in Melbourne, Australia in January of this year.
The Tennis Ball Exchange is just as it sounds—visitors are encouraged to bring an old and heavily used ball to swap for a brand new one.
The gallery walls start with more than 8,000 pristine tennis balls casting a neon glow on all the rooms. As the balls are gradually replaced with dirtier versions of themselves (notes in sharpie, dog slobber—let your mind run wild), that’s when the artwork starts taking shape. Representing the joy of trade that Shrigley states was inspired by his dog: “My dog likes tennis balls. I throw them and she chases them. [Her interest is] more about the exchange than the possession.”
Such a beautiful and simple concept that leaves a lasting memory for the visitors (near and far). I love immersive experiences in art such as this and I hope to see another tennis exchange pop-up gallery by Shrigley in the future!
Check out Shrigley’s instagram and website for more inspiration!
From the Gallery Archives
Celebrities attending Wimbledon (honestly, some of my fave fashion).
That time when Andy Roddick’s serve embedded into the court.
Lawn care tips to recreate Wimbledon at home.
Roland Garros and their history of modern art posters.
Memorable tennis moments in film:
“The strongest, the most powerful, the most dangerous creature on this whole earth is a woman who knows how to think. Ain’t nothing she can’t do.”
- Richard Williams
Challengers (2024), King Richard (2021), Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Battle of the Sexes (2017), Bridesmaids (2011), & The Witches of Eastwick (1987).
Exit Through The Gift Shop
Chevron pleated tennis skirt + embroidered polo sweatshirt.
Love these crew socks.
Wyn Beauty (by Serena Williams) lip serum.
Racquet Magazine
Linen cocktail napkins + embroidered tissue box cover.
The clay court area rug—such a stunner.
Tennis pasta + striped beach towel.
‘Game, Set, Match’ leather notebook.
Unstoppable by Maria Sharapova
YSL x Wilson tennis balls.
Thank you so much for visiting the gallery today.
What did you think? Are you a tennis fan or was this the most neon fuzz you’ve seen all at once? Let me know your best tennis stories in the comments below and if you enjoyed the exhibit, please consider sharing with someone who might find value from it.
x Lauren
Previous Exhibits at the YGL Gallery:
Let Them Eat Cake
Tomatoes On The Vine
An Evening of Christmas
5, 6, 7, 8…
What a fantastic exhibition! The visual presentation is stunning, with colors and motifs that echo each other beautifully. You’ve really captured, with a lot of tenderness and humour, how tennis is a sport of socializing and human exchange, far beyond the competitive exchanges of the ball itself. It brings to mind one of my favorite paintings, Octave Guillonnet's 1925 "La Partie de tennis" in the musée des Beaux-Arts of Dijon. It depicts the sport as a relaxed, social pastime of a specific era's upper class, far removed from competition. For me, it perfectly translates that warm, golden end-of-summer evening light and an atmosphere of people who are simply happy to be there. Have a nice day and hope to see more of your exhibitions !
I hope you do make it to center court one day, it is an amazing experience. I luckily got to see Andy Roddick center court in Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York, US Open 2008.