Where do all those mementos to past love go (those you didn’t ritualistically burn we mean)? Some find their way to LA’s new Museum of Broken Relationships.
There’s a ton of things to see in Los Angeles (we’ve even curated a few here) but if you’re one of the masses that has felt the burn of a breakup, you might spare a few moments for the city’s newest arts concept, the Museum of Broken Relationships, an art museum centred on the concept of failed relationships and their ruins.
Located on Hollywood Boulevard, the Museum of Broken Relationships was founded by John B. Quinn, and designed by Brown Design Group. Home to more than 3,500 feet of exhibition space, the museum boasts soaring 14-foot ceilings and filtered natural light, setting the scene perfectly for its collection of nearly 300-items from its permanent collection of donated artifacts.
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The concept for the Museum of Broken Relationships was born in 2006 when former artist couple Olinka Vištica and Dražen Grubišić wondered what people did with objects that had been meaningful in their relationships. In 2010, they created a museum to house the collection they assembled in Zagreb, Croatia. In 2015, Quinn discovered the museum on a family trip, and it inspired the LA opening.
“The museum is an opportunity for visitors from around the world to experience the emotions and memories embodied in objects and told through narratives contributed by others,” says Quinn. “From this, we learn how different people and their relationships are, but also, when it comes to breakups, how much we share.”
For the inaugural exhibition, director Alexis Hyde and assistant director Amanda Vandenberg have selected nearly 100 items from the museum’s ongoing global call for objects, each accompanied by a brief description. The installation is designed to take visitors on a diverse emotional journey, ending with stories that affirm not every broken relationship is, or remains a negative.
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“The vast range of items we’re presenting may not seem extraordinary, but when paired with their stories, they tap into a depth of the human experience that connects us all,” says Hyde. “Our first installation is designed to be a journey as honest and relatable as it is cathartic and promising.”
In addition to six exhibition rooms, there’s a private “confessional” space where visitors may write and leave anonymous notes, as well as a gift shop with branded items, fiction and art books based on the theme of broken relationships and a new, custom book with a selection from the call for objects.
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