Souvenir
We can’t collect places, countries, or buildings so instead we take a little piece of them with us in the form of souvenirs. Refrigerator magnets, key-chains, shot-glasses, spoons and the ubiquitous “funny” t-shirt; you can find them all over the world and no matter where you are they’re pretty much all the same. The same object with a different name and poor quality photo slapped on it. Sentimental value aside they're nothing more than cheap reminders of the disposable culture that we have become so used to.
Dutch World Heritage Sites deserve better. Souvenirs should ignite the imagination. After all, a souvenir is (supposed to) pay homage to something that you can’t find anywhere else in the world. In an attempt to offer an alternative guest curator for UNESCO World Heritage Sites Netherlands, Erik Kessels, asked 60 students from 3 different disciplines to assist him in creating truly original souvenirs for the ten UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Netherlands. Just like the sites themselves these souvenirs can’t be found anywhere else in the world. They tell the historical and cultural stories of the Netherlands in an extraordinary way.
