The tourist industry uses standardised promotional gifts to carry their civic or regional logos to promote cities and counties. ‘Souvenir’ takes this a step further by drawing on an area’s sameness rather than its unique historical, cultural or natural interests by depicting generic high streets in Northern cities.
The work raises questions about our globalised desires and products, and about the role of culture and cultural institutions in defining civic and regional difference. This work was originally created for Artranspennine03 and was located in city art gallery gift shops in each of the illustrated cities.