Souvenirs for the Unwitting

Using souvenirs of historical disasters as a point of departure, Souvenirs for the Unwitting presents a series of commemorative objects. Traded on the internet, these mementos have been transformed into collectables, increasingly distant from the catastrophic moments they depict.  

The works draw upon the historical connection between print culture and commemoration to explore the ways in which the past becomes commodified, collectable and safe.  In an attempt to restore these objects to their former identity, their digital representations have been salvaged and re-souvenired into commemorative postcards, then delivered to Mailbox.

Shown at Mailbox Art Space in 2016. This exhibition was subsequently re-souvenired into this commemorative work.