The Trash Cubes by New York–based artist Justin Gignac transform garbage into something collectible—and even desirable. The new chapter of this project, developed together with New York City Garbage, now takes shape in the Bodega Edition: 100 transparent cubes, individually numbered and hand-filled with debris collected outside New York bodegas.
Each cube is a sealed trace, a small narrative made of anonymous remnants that become tangible fragments of the city that never sleeps.
The idea dates back to 2001 and started as a provocation: to demonstrate how packaging can completely reshape the perceived value of something. To do this, Justin Gignac deliberately chose the least desirable object possible—garbage. From the sidewalks of Times Square, he began collecting debris, arranging it and sealing it inside signed and numbered transparent cubes. The result is an object no one should want to buy, yet one that ends up being sold all over the world.
Over time, the project moved beyond its initial provocation and evolved into a more complex system of meanings. More than 1,400 cubes have been distributed across over 30 countries, turning what started as an ironic gesture into something meant to be perceived differently: what begins as a gag becomes a souvenir, and eventually art, simply through the way it is presented and narrated.
The Bodega Edition adds another layer: social context. Bodegas are key nodes in everyday New York life, transitional spaces where invisible stories accumulate. Collecting what is left outside these places means capturing an even more intimate and local dimension of the city.
But the point of this project has never been the garbage itself. As Justin Gignac has explained, the work lies in the gesture and in perception: in convincing someone to buy something they would normally avoid.
And this is exactly where the project becomes interesting today. The bodega Trash Cubes don’t create anything new—they change the way we look at what already exists. They turn waste into documentation, trash into archive, the invisible into something that finally deserves attention.
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The collection also includes a T-shirt and a sticker sheet, while the first cubes are available in limited quantities both online and at the physical store on Stanton Street. And this new iteration of the project invites us to reflect on the concept of value—especially today.
