AFP, NEW YORK
Taylor Swift fans have paid US$25 for pieces of trash — including cigarette butts and an ovulation test kit — collected near the US pop singer’s wedding to NFL star Travis Kelce. A New York artist picked up the garbage last Friday from city streets around Madison Square Garden, where the couple staged a glamorous event for hundreds of celebrity guests amid a global frenzy.All of the items, which were sold individually, were snapped up within 24 hours of going on sale: water bottle caps, Ring Pop candy, police caution tape, straws and utensils — as well as a single left AirPod.“It’s getting a lot of Swifties who just want a tangential piece of the wedding,” said Justin Gignac, who is selling the trash on his Web site, New York City Garbage. Each item — described online as a “sculpture” — is sealed inside a tiny plastic cube to prevent leaks or odors.
Artist Justin Gignac searches for discarded items outside Madison Square Garden in New York on Friday last week after the wedding of performer Taylor Swift and professional football tight end Travis Kelce, as the Empire State Building glows blue in honor of the couple.
Gignac told AFP that he has made US$1,250 from selling 50 items so far, and he may put more on the market.“I try to commemorate cultural moments in New York City, and this seemed to be a big one, so just capturing a little time capsule from that moment in time,” he said.
