“Souvenirs: New New York Icons” Exhibition

Storefront for Art and Architecture

This event has ended.

#souvenirs #modelshow #newnewyorkicons @storefrontnyc

As a contemporary form of commercialized nostalgia, souvenirs are the ultimate cliche in the representation of a city. Pocket-sized, acritical, and cheap, they populate tourist sites all over the world with a patina of innocence.

Producing collective imaginaries made up of lines that follow the profiles of superlative sculptures, buildings, and stories, souvenirs have become the reference points that anchor a particular culture in time, representing (consciously or not) political, cultural, and social values.

Souvenirs: New New York Icons, the second iteration of Storefront’s model show, commissions 59+ objects that redefine New York’s iconic imagery. Inspired by each of the city’s Community Districts, more than 59 artists, architects, and designers have reimagined the referential images that constitute the global perception of the city, proposing new understandings of the urban experience.

Challenging the symbols that have permeated the gift shop, Souvenirs presents critical approaches to the shifting and complex iconography of the city. The exhibition introduces new objects and, with them, new ways to relate to form, matter, affect, representation, and agency.

Visitors to the exhibition will be asked to cast a vote for the object that best represents their visions and values of the city. The top three souvenirs will be presented to the Mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio as new icons for the city.

Exhibition design by MOS Architects. Graphic design by Studio Lin.

Participants:

Abruzzo Bodziak Architects
adamo-faiden
AFARAI
Agency-Agency
Al-Hamad Design
(Nanu Al-Hamad /
Kaeli Streeter)
Alan Ruiz
Andrew Kovacs
Ania Jaworska
Architensions
Atelier Van Lieshout
Caroline Woolard
Charlap Hyman & Herrero
ecosistema urbano
Ensamble Studio
Family
Frank Benson
Future Expansion
Hayley Eber
Huy Bui
Ibañez Kim
IIIII Columns
Jenny Sabin Studio

Jerome W Haferd and
K Brandt Knapp
Katie Stout
Kwong Von Glinow
Design Office
Leigha Lee Dennis
Liz Phillips
Local Projects
Lydia Xynogala
Medium
Michael Wang
Michelle Chang
Midnight Commercial
Miguel Robles-Durán
N H D M / Nahyun Hwang
+ David Eugin Moon
Naomi Fisher
NEMESTUDIO
New Affiliates
Nontsikelelo Mutiti and
Simba Mafundikwa
Office III
Ogrydziak Prillinger
Architects (OPA)
Once-Future Office
ONTOPO
P.R.O.
Patrick Meagher and
Lenka Ilic
QSPACE
Rafael de Cardenas /
Architecture at Large
SIKI IM
Slash Projects
Slow and Steady Wins
the Race
SOFTlab
Sonia Leimer
Studio Christian Wassmann
Studio Meem
Talbot & Yoon
Tomashi Jackson
Ultramoderne
WELCOMEPROJECTS
Young & Ayata and iheartblob
ZUS [Zones Urbaines
Sensibles]