Travel Souvenirs

When the purpose of a work is to convey remembrance and nostalgia, the travel souvenir takes on an important role in art. Whether it is the small metal pilgrimage badges treasured by those who returned from Rome or Santiago di Compostela in the medieval period or seaside landscape paintings brought home during the popularity of beach escapes in the 19th century – travel souvenirs hold the power to evoke memory. The possibility to be immersed in another culture, escapism or opportunity can enrich the traveler, so it is unsurprising that a little piece of that experience is taken home – back to the reality of their everyday life. Thus, when the artist aspires to understand humanity and its relationship with its surroundings, their works extend to depicting travel and immortalizing the experience. As you delve into works of travel souvenirs on Artsper, you will come across Hector Mediavilla, who uses photography to document the movement of people. Patrick Lajoie’s works finds itself in commonly recurring themes such as seascape beaches and bathing scenes, vehicles like vintage cars and surfing. These subjects are chosen as much for their reflection of the artist's personal interests as for their ability to channel collective memories and a spirit of adventure. Why wouldn’t you want to immortalize that…