A Museum of Broken Relationships

We’ve all been there and what better day to remember it than Valentine’s Day?!

 (Notice sarcasm) This museum exhibits broken hearts through objects that were collected throughout a relationship which now holds unpleasant memories. They say exhibiting these objects acts as a way of therapy. Every Feb 14th, I used to wear a home-made shirt that said “Happy Singles Awareness Day”. Want your own therapy? You can donate your “object of affection”: click here

From their website: The Museum of Broken Relationships grew from a traveling exhibition revolving around the concept of failed relationships and their ruins. Unlike ‘destructive’ self-help instructions for recovery from failed loves, the Museum offers a chance to overcome.

About the bear pictured:  He survived on top of my closet in a plastic bag, because it wasn’t him who hurt me, but the idiot who left him behind.

Whatever the motivation for donating personal belongings – be it sheer exhibitionism, therapeutic relief, or simple curiosity – people embraced the idea of exhibiting their love legacy as a sort of a ritual, a solemn ceremony.  Our societies oblige us with our marriages, funerals, and even graduation farewells, but deny us any formal recognition of the demise of a relationship, despite its strong emotional effect.  In the words of Roland Barthes in A Lover’s Discourse: “Every passion, ultimately, has its spectator… (there is) no amorous oblation without a final theater.” an emotional collapse through creation: by contributing to the Museum’s collection.

About the Axe pictured: In the 14 days of her holiday, every day I axed one piece of her furniture. She took that trash and left my apartment for good. The axe was promoted to a therapy instrument. Read Full Story of the Axe

Want to visit? The original is in Croatia, but it does go on tour and will be in England until April 15. They’ve also won an award for the most innovative museum in Europe for 2011.