Justin Gignac's Trash Cubes: Bodega Edition Turns NYC Garbage into Collectible Art

Justin Gignac's Trash Cubes project, launched in 2001, has evolved into the Bodega Edition: 100 transparent, numbered cubes filled with garbage collected outside New York City bodegas. Each cube is sealed and hand-packed, transforming anonymous refuse into tangible city traces. The project originated as a provocation to show how packaging alters perceived value, with Gignac collecting debris from Times Square sidewalks. Over 1,400 cubes have been distributed in more than 30 countries, shifting from ironic gag to souvenir to art through presentation. The Bodega Edition adds social context by focusing on bodegas as neighborhood hubs where invisible stories accumulate. Gignac emphasizes the work lies in the gesture and perception—convincing someone to buy what they'd normally avoid. The collection also includes a T-shirt and sticker sheet, with initial cubes available online and at the Stanton Street store. The project reframes waste as document, refuse as archive, and the invisible as worthy of attention.