images Kiosk
words Anna Bates

All of these objects were collected on a trip to Hong Kong by New York-based duo Kiosk. The couple travel the world in search of “interesting items” that they buy to sell in their New York shop. Among the collection are a set of airmail envelopes, a frying tool, a big yellow calculator and some soy sauce.

Accompanying each object is a text explaining why they chose it. “We pick things that feel like the place to us,” says founder Alisa Grifo. “Sometimes it’s something I’ve not seen before, and sometimes it’s an object that sums up an experience.”

One example is the watermelon-style ball they came across on their most recent trip to Hong Kong. They first saw a small child playing with one on the street, but then came across the design repeatedly – including in a museum. The red lampshade was a sure sight at the city’s street markets.

So far countries Grifo and her partner Marco Romeny have visited include Finland, Japan, Sweden, Mexico and Germany. They are currently rummaging through Massachusetts. Items from each trip stay in the shop for up to six months, but 10-15 pieces from each visit are kept in an ongoing collection. They take back anything between one and a hundred of the item; all of which are priced between $1 and $200 and can also be purchased at: www.kioskkiosk.com