As love is universal; so is heartbreak. From the painful unrequited first crush to the loss of a once-in-a-lifetime love, we have all experienced heartbreak of some sort in our lives. They suck, but they are one of our most shared emotions and experiences.
And that is the premise of the brand new Museum of Broken Relationships, which has this month opened its second branch in the world right here in an exquisitely renovated old building on Chiang Mai’s Tha Pae Road.
Exes Olinka Vistica and Drazen Grubisic, both Croatians, dated between 2002-2004. When their relationship ended, they held onto a windup bunny toy which symbolised their relationship and which they weren’t yet ready to let go. Olinka, as an art producer and Drazen, as an artist, were invited a couple of years later to join an exhibition titled ‘synergy’ in their hometown of Zagreb, Croatia. That was when they decided to put forward their memento as well as curating a further 46 donated pieces symbolising broken relationships, putting together the first ever collection of curated items of broken relationships. The exhibition received instant attention and success and the pair have since been working together and have to-date collected over 3,500 pieces symbolising broken relationships from donations both to their museum, which is now one of the most popular museums in Croatia, as well as on their tours to 68 cities in 35 countries around the world.
“We weren’t looking to create a shrine to our relationship,” explained Olinka. “But something about the process of giving it up, we found, was cathartic. We soon realised that this feeling was shared by others who also donated to the museum.”
Walk into the museum, pay your 200 baht, and you are taken on an emotional journey, of what initially appears to be unconsidered trifles: here an oriental teacup, there an x-ray of a broken shoulder; here a wooden flamingo; there an empty bottle. All inconsequential until you stop to read the short text next to it. And realise the deep meaning these items have for their previous owners.
The oriental tea cup was given by a man by his now passed mother as he left her to move to another country. It was a reminder of his homeland, Iraq, and its innate culture of hospitality. The x-ray from Mexico represents the apparently false declaration of love following a car accident, the bitterness of its recipient felt through their words. The wooden flamingo from the US represented the humour and vibe of a long lost relationship its donor is still struggling to let go and the empty bottle was in the hands of the donor, when, aged five, they first learned they were adopted by their beloved parents.
Who doesn’t love a good story? And the story-telling at this very thoughtfully curated museum is excellent. The objects, accompanied by words, tell stories of love, heartbreak, loss, longing, joy, nostalgia, humour and, as advertised, broken relationships.
Olinka and Drazen will remain based in Croatia, and have appointed Charlotte Fuentes and local partner Piyathida Inta as Chiang Mai curators, understanding the importance of ensuring the museum’s local relevancy.
“There are so many stories from Asia and we understand the need to feature Thai perspectives in our story telling,” explained Charlotte who explains that it is important to the museum that stories are not edited, that they are featured as they are written by its donors. “In this way we maintain the integrity, perhaps the rawness, of their emotions in their own words.”
“Letting go is an important ritual for all of us,” added Olinka. “But it is also an act of communication. Think about it, your most personal story may end up travelling the world. Strangers will spend time interacting with it, perhaps having an intimate conversation with you, even though you aren’t there. The story is universally understood. And that is powerful.”
Piyathida, who has visited the museum in Croatia, is excited about how Chiang Mai will receive this museum, explaining that she learnt about a new way of setting up as well as experiencing a museum. “It is a new concept here and a new way of seeing art; a new form of presentation featuring the unknown,” she added, saying that it was a challenge she was relishing.
“All you need is some life experience to relate to the museum,” added Drazen. “Even repeat visitors enjoy new experiences when they come, as how they view items and relate to their stories depend on their state of mind at the time.”
The Museum of Broken Relationships is a fantastic new addition to a city looking towards a more creative, festive, cultural and vibrant future. It’s space is envious, with wide open balconies looking out onto both Tha Pae and Wichayanon Roads and spacious exhibition rooms, allowing for pieces to speak and tell their stories. In the future, the Museum of Broken Relationships hopes to host events and become an active participant in Chiang Mai’s vibrant arts and creativity scene.
One of the first items one sees when entering the museum is the axe, donated by someone who used it in anger following a breakup. Not far from it was a loaf of bread, symbolising a loaf of bread a Korean woman threw towards her husband who was carted away in the late ‘40s, never to be seen again.
These are poignant, joyful, humourous, sad and always heartfelt stories and if you are in the mood to experience something completely new and unique, something which will challenge as well as comfort you, then we can’t recommend enough a visit to the excellent Museum of Broken Relationships.
Donations are welcome, so if you feel as though you have a special piece of something you are holding onto which has a story to tell about broken relationships, then stop by and have a chat to Piyathida and Charlotte, perhaps your story can also travel the world, connecting and inspiring.
The Museum of Broken Relationships is open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. General people 200 Baht Student / Elder (65+) 150 Baht
