During this year’s NYCxDESIGN, Sergio Mannino Studio captured attention with a thought-provoking object created for SOUVENIR 2025, the design festival’s limited-edition keepsake series. As part of a collective project featuring 10 studios interpreting the concept of a “souvenir,” Mannino’s piece stood out for its philosophical depth and unexpected commentary on modern life.
Rather than offering a decorative trinket, the Brooklyn-based studio challenged the idea of what a souvenir can be—choosing not to create a physical object at all. Instead, Sergio Mannino submitted a blank box accompanied by a letter, proposing that the absence of a traditional souvenir could itself serve as a powerful reminder of the intangible: memories, presence, and the spaces we occupy emotionally and spiritually. In a design world often obsessed with form and materiality, this approach questions consumerism while inviting reflection.
Displayed alongside other pieces from top NYC studios like House of Tuhina, Jumbo, and Another Human, Mannino’s non-object inspired curious responses from visitors and was widely discussed as one of the exhibition’s most intellectually engaging contributions.
The SOUVENIR 2025 exhibition runs throughout NYCxDESIGN, highlighting how New York designers continue to push boundaries with innovation, wit, and cultural critique. In choosing to subtract rather than add, Sergio Mannino offers a souvenir that lingers long after the festival ends.
THE CANVAS at the Westfield Oculus
May 15th-21st, 2025
185 Greenwich St.
Ground Floor (C2) / South Concourse
NY, NY 10007
Photo Credit: Sergio Mannino Studio
