As thousands of Swifties gathered outside Madison Square Garden hoping to catch a glimpse of: Taylor Swift and: Travis Kelce on their wedding day, a man saw a different opportunity.New York artist Justin Gignac spent the night collecting trash left by fans. Within a day, he transformed the trash into collectible pieces of art that were sold online, earning him $1,250.According to Fast Company, Gignac collected the trash left by fans outside Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding at Madison Square Garden on July 3, packaged it in collectible acrylic cubes and sold the entire collection online within 24 hours.
Justin Gignac turned Taylor Swift’s wedding trash into art
Known for his long-running project New York City Garbage, Justin Gignac has spent nearly 25 years turning everyday trash into collectible artwork.For the wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, he visited Madison Square Garden armed with gloves, a garbage collector and wearing a tuxedo from his own wedding.Instead of looking for celebrities, he focused on the fans left outside the venue.His collection includes bottle caps, cigarette butts, plastic utensils, drinking straws, police caution tape, Ring Pop wrappers and even a single AirPod.Gignac emphasized that every item was removed from the public streets outside the security perimeter. No one from inside the wedding venue.
‘Uninvited Edition: ‘selling
After collecting the items, Gignac sealed them inside small transparent acrylic cubes and labeled the collection “Not Invited Edition.”Each cube features the words “JUST&T MARRIED,” a playful nod to marriage and the couple’s initials.The limited edition collection consists of 50 pieces, each priced at $25.The answer was immediate.According to the publication, every single cube was sold in 24 hours and eight minutes, which allowed the artist to see about $1,250 from the first release.Gignac has since said he plans to release 39 more cubes, bringing the total to 89, a tribute to Taylor Swift’s year of birth and her iconic album, 1989.
The viral project has sparked debate online
As news of the unusual collections spread online, social media users were divided.Some hailed the idea as a new combination of art, marketing and pop culture, while others could not believe that people were willing to spend money on what they called “literal garbage.”Many users also suggested that buyers may see the cubes as future collectibles linked to one of pop culture’s biggest couples rather than just souvenirs.
A business built on garbage in New York City
Although the Taylor Swift collection went viral, it’s not the first time Gignac has sold junk.He started New York City Garbage in 2001 after packaging ordinary street trash in clear acrylic boxes to challenge how people perceive value.Since then, he has created collections from New Year’s Eve in Times Square, championship parades and other big cultural moments in New York City.Reflecting on the project, Gignac said he was trying to preserve important moments in the city’s history in an unconventional way.He also believes that value comes from the memories attached to an object rather than the object itself.“People are always like, ‘Why would you pay for garbage?’ And I say, are you going to pay for the trash from your first date or your kid’s last Little League game? It’s not just trash. These are things that have meaning,” he explained.The success of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding collections is another example of the couple’s incredible cultural influence. Even the garbage left outside their wedding venue proved to be valuable enough to be sold in a matter of hours, turning an ordinary cleaning into a worthwhile work of art.