Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Opened in 2010 by a couple who had recently broken up, this extremely clever museum
lives up to all the attention it's received in the international press. The museum's mission is
simple: collect true stories of failed couples from around the world, tell their story in their
own words, and display the tale alongside an actual item that embodies the relationship.
The items and stories provide insights into a shared human experience—we can all relate
to the anger, sadness, and relief expressed in these poignant, at times hilarious, displays.
In addition to the predictable “he cheated on me so I broke his favorite fill-in-the-blank”
items, the ever-changing collection delves into other types of fractured connections: an un-
requited childhood crush, the slow fade of lovers who gradually grew apart, disappointment
in a politician who failed to live up to lofty expectations, the premature end of a love cut
short by death, and so on. You'll see discarded wedding albums, sex toys with stories about
unreasonable requests for kinky acts, films that attempt to capture the essence of a relation-
ship, children's playthings representing the innocence of young love (and, perhaps, the uni-
versality of stuffed animals), and plenty of items broken with vengeful wrath. The museum
is small—just a few rooms—but rewards those who take the time to read each story. The
collection has been such a hit, they've taken it on the road, garnering fans in cities world-
wide.
