Recession Souvenirs : Information + Images

Souvenirs in Bronze News Update 16 Oct 2009 The work of Brooklyn designers Constantin Boym (54) and Laurene Leon Boym (45) goes on show at “Design USA,” an exhibition of the work of the Boyms and other winners of the first 10 years of the National Design Awards opening today at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York. The Boyms' souvenirs famously include “missing” monuments or buildings that were never built or have been destroyed - such as the Chernobyl power plant or the Montana cabin where the “Unabomber” plotted his terror campaign. Constantin Boym was born in the Soviet Union and emigrated to the United States in 1981 Recession Souvenirs in Bronze Aug 2009 One of the first casualties of the worldwide recession were monumental architectural projects, summarily canceled or put "on hold". Five of those potential skyscrapers, reduced to tabletop size, now make the Boyms' new edition of Recession Souvenirs. The set includes Burj al Alam in Dubai; the Russia Tower in Moscow, planned to be the tallest building in Europe; Busan Lotte Tower in Korea, designed as the world's tallest hotel; Herzog & de Meuron's whimsical 56 Leonard Street condo tower in New York; and the controversial Cheesegrater, intended for the heart of London. The miniature skyscrapers, hand cast in bright-color resin, may bring to mind Missing Monuments, the Boyms' souvenirs of unbuilt or lost structures. Yet in this case, not all of these recession casualties will necessarily be "missed". A material for reflection or conversation, these five collectible pieces are available for $95 each. Produced for a limited time only - as long as recession lasts.