Welcome to the Museum of Broken Relationships
Temporary exhibition in Paris puts relics of sentimental disappointment on display
Dreadlocks, teddy bears, handcuffs, a wedding dress, a prosthetic limb and other unexpected mementos of broken relationships are brought together in a Paris exhibition that opened yesterday.
Some describe the collection in the Museum of Broken Relationships as “found objects”, others prefer to call it a “small art museum”.
Whatever the name, the curators hope to make an inventory of relics adorned with sentimental disappointment available to the public.
The temporary, travelling exhibition space in CentQuatre, Paris, has been put on in association with the Museum of Broken Relationships Zagreb, taking its name from its Croatian predecessor.
Project authors Olinka Vistica and Drazen Grubisic wanted to create an experience that was both intimate and universal, the presentation of emotional heritage that pushed the boundaries of identity, culture and arts.
Far from supporting the feeling of abandonment and destruction, the museum provides an opportunity to overcome emotional collapse as a creative act; its ever-growing display is enriched by fresh donations in each country its visits.
It gathered an extraordinary collection of stories and objects from heartbroken people, wanting to leave a trace of their past love affair, or to liberate the last step of crystallising the break.
This collection is an original proposal at the crossroads of museology, contemporary art and the cathartic experience of cultural anthropology.
It runs until January 20.