Art Of Breakups: Museum Enshrines Relics Of Relationships Past
Ever wondered what to do with that special memento from a past relationship, that token that's just too challenging to toss, not feasible to return, but yet too painful to hold on to?
And no, we're not talking about your broken heart, although we would all relish a quick fix for such.
While emotional fallout might be the thing we most often wish to be rid of after a relationship has ended, the tangibles — the bits and pieces of a life built together – can also make it challenging to let go and move on.
Well, now you can donate those trinkets of love to a museum, The Museum of Broken Relationships, to be precise. The new museum is set to open in Los Angeles in May and they're currently in the process of building their collection.
(We asked people on Twitter to share some of their items from relationships past, and you'll find those memories shared throughout this story.)
Alexis Hyde is the museum's director and she says they're accepting submissions from persons overcoming any type of broken relationship.
"We're talking about all relationships," Hyde tells NPR's Lourdes Garcia-Navarro. "It is lovers and it is romantic, but it's also your family, your friends, maybe business relationships, or even like with your country. I actually even got submissions from someone breaking up with your younger more idealistic self."
The brokenhearted have been submitting a potpourri of souvenirs ranging from "ratty T-shirts," to photo albums and pieces of jewelry.
"These are usually items of not very much physical value, but the kind of things that people talk about saving in a fire, that can't be replaced, things with a lot of emotional heaviness to them," Hyde says.
The museum will also showcase a permanent collection, where some more valuable items will be on display.
"A few wedding rings, wedding dresses," Hyde says. "I'm hopefully getting a size double zero jeans from a woman who's a recovering anorexic from an emotionally abusive relationship she'd been in. And now she's in a healthier, emotional and physical place, she wants to let go of this token of this unhealthy time."
Some might argue it's unhealthy to immortalize something from a failed relationship and that donating to the Museum of Broken Relationship might not be a good idea.
"It's definitely a doubled edge situation. I think in giving us your objects you are moving on, you're actually physically cutting ties with that and it does provide catharsis," Hyde says.
It must be noted that there already exists a Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb, Croatia. This one opened in 2010 and it's affiliated with the new one in the U.S. John B. Quinn, the president of the Los Angeles location, discovered the Croatian museum while on vacation.
As to the chosen hometown for the museum, Hyde says it's because it's a city of dreamers where many are open to new ideas, especially when it comes to art and community.
"People come here with these amazing dreams and goals and it's also a land of crushing defeat. Not all of these things work out and everyone's like, 'Los Angeles is perfect.'"
So whatever the source of your broken heart, Hyde is encouraging you to preserve for posterity that keepsake of your relationship by donating it to the Museum of Broken Relationships. But she's pleading that unlike the "symbol of undying love" that one woman submitted, please don't send her another vial of blood.
Don't worry, it was not Angelina Jolie.
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Transcript
LOURDES GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:
When a relationship ends, there's fallout - emotional, yes, but tangible too. The bits and pieces of a life built together. So what do you do with that stuff? Well, there's a new museum opening in Los Angeles called the Museum of Broken Relationships. And right now they're in the process of building their collection. Alexis Hyde, the museum's director, joins me now from our studios in Culver City. Welcome.
ALEXIS HYDE: Hi, nice to be here. Thank you so much.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Broken relationships - you know, are we talking lovers, boyfriends, girlfriends or do other relationships qualify?
HYDE: We're talking about all relationships. It is lovers and it is romantic, but it's also your family, your friends, maybe business relationships or even, like, with your country. I actually even got a submission from someone breaking up with his younger, more idealistic self.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Oh, wow. That's meta.
HYDE: So it really - it's - I know. It really - it's different for everyone. And that's the beauty of it.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: So first of all, of course, the question is what have you been getting? When people donate these items, what are they actually donating?
HYDE: You know, these are usually items of, you know, not very much fiscal value but the kind of things that people talk about saving in a fire, that can't be replaced, you know, very unique things with a lot of emotional heaviness attached to them.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: So give me an example.
HYDE: So, you know, we get ratty T-shirts, photo albums, you know, little trinkets of jewelry.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: The ratty T-shirt. I've got a few of those.
HYDE: Exactly. But then we also do have - in the permanent collection there's quite a few wedding rings and wedding dresses. I'm hopefully getting a pair of size double-zero jeans for a woman who is a recovering anorexic from an emotionally abusive relationship she had been in. And now she's in a healthier emotional and physical place. And she wants to let go of this totem of this unhealthy time. A lot of little heart-shaped rocks actually this week of people - I think it's a California thing, walking on the beach with a boyfriend or a girlfriend and finding the heart-shaped rock to commemorate that day.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: So this might be too much information, TMI, but obviously we've all saved some things that we - are slightly embarrassing from our previous relationships. What's been the strangest thing that you've gotten as a submission?
HYDE: I got a submission of a vial of blood. And I - you know, I would like to not receive anymore bodily fluids.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: I'm actually - want to know where the blood came from. I mean, is it something that you have to talk to the police about or...
HYDE: It's - I know. She says it's hers. She had given it to an ex-lover as, you know, a symbol of their undying love and their deep, deep connection. And when they broke up, he sent it back to her. And I think that was a really big blow. And so now she's giving it to me (laughter).
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Do you think, though, it's really a good idea to immortalize something from a failed relationship this way? I mean, isn't the point to move on or at least that's what we're always told? Move on, move on.
HYDE: I mean, it's definitely a double-edged situation. I mean, I think that in giving us your objects, you are moving on. You're actually physically cutting ties with that and it does provide catharsis.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: So why is Los Angeles the place for this? You know, why not some other city?
HYDE: Why not L.A.? But no, I mean, we're a city of dreamers. People come here with these amazing dreams and goals. And it's also a land of crushing defeat because not all of these things work out. And everyone's like, Los Angeles is perfect. I have something. Everyone wants to participate and we're really open to new ideas, especially when it comes to art and community.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Alexis Hyde is the director of the Museum of Broken Relationships. The museum opens in May. And it's currently taking submissions from the brokenhearted. Thanks so much for joining us.
HYDE: Thank you so much for having me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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