Following the recent wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, an artist has capitalized on fan fervor by selling pieces of "garbage" collected from the vicinity of the event. Justin Gignac, the artist behind New York City Garbage, sold out of his limited "NYC Pocket Garbage: Not Invited Edition" collection. These pieces contained items such as "cigarette butts, water bottle caps, caution tape, pieces of a rainbow fan, straws, utensils, an ovulation test kit, a ring pop, and one left AirPod." Notably, these items were gathered from outside Madison Square Garden, where fans had congregated, rather than directly from the wedding ceremony or reception.
The "Not Invited Edition" pieces were priced at $25 each and encased in a one-inch cube signed by Gignac. This pricing is lower than some of his previous "garbage art" offerings, which have sold for over $100. Gignac's broader art concept involves creating pieces from city litter to tell a story about the object's past use. However, the specific context of this project has drawn criticism, particularly in light of reports of fans eating leftover food provided by the catering company to those gathered outside the venue. The artist described the collected items as being found "on the floor after the party. Collected from the edge of a love story outside Madison Square Garden, as close to Taylor & Travis’ big day as you could’ve gotten without an invite." The concept behind "Pocket Garbage" is intended to allow owners to "carry a piece of the greatest day of your… I mean, their lives, wherever you go." The practice highlights a potent display of parasocial affection, fueled by years of fan culture and Swift's own tendency to mythologize her personal life through her music.