1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hi 2 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: Brainstuff Lauren Vogelbaum here with a classic brain Stuff episode 3 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: with shutdowns to help protect against the spread of COVID nineteen. 4 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 1: Lots of museums have gone online only, and that includes 5 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: one outpost of the subject of today's episode, The Museum 6 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 1: of Broken Relationships. Hey, brain Stuff Lauren Vogelbaum Here. If 7 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 1: a relationship is like a shark that must constantly move 8 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: forward or die, then what the Museum of Broken Relationships 9 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: has on its hands is a lot of dead sharks 10 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 1: and are shards because romantic or not, when any cherished 11 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: relationship hits the skids, it can blow your heart to 12 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: Smithereens with heart shards in mind and an eye toward 13 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 1: healing and purposeful change, the Museum of Broken Relationships is 14 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: an innovative resource for helping people seek solace, let go, 15 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: and move on. Curated from once valued possessions that xs 16 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 1: of every ilk can't stand to keep around anymore, yet 17 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: can't bear to throw away, the museum provides a space 18 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: to showcase the flotsam of flouted vows and forsaken promises 19 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 1: and the sad souvenirs of subterfuge. Anonymous and sometimes gut 20 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:21,400 Speaker 1: wrenching personal stories presented alongside their related objects provide context 21 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 1: im viewing these ordinary items, like say, a pair of 22 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 1: converse sneakers, a latch key, or a wisp of hair 23 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 1: with universal meaning. Raw and unedited personal artifacts selected from 24 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: hundreds of warehoused and ever incoming donations from love lorn 25 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 1: people around the world comprise the installations at the award 26 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: winning avant Garde Museum located in Zagreb, Croatia, plus in 27 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 1: an international traveling exhibition, and at the museum in Los Angeles, California, which, 28 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: while they scout a new brick and mortar location, is 29 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: alive and well online. A poignant smattering of samples includes 30 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 1: a jar of spicy Amish pickles purchase by a young 31 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: woman for her first love. He stopped returning her texts 32 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 1: within the span of their two months together, and she 33 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 1: never had a chance to give him the pickles. A 34 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 1: Peter Pan plush toy bought by a twenty five year 35 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 1: old man to remind himself to keep the boy inside 36 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: alive now fifty, His placard caption reads, the boy is 37 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 1: lost to me. An ex wife's non traditional whispy silk 38 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: wedding dress crammed into no kidding, a pickle jar after 39 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 1: her husband got the seven year itch and split, a 40 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: magnifying glass left by a woman as a reminder to 41 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 1: a self absorbed lover that she had always felt small, 42 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: and a small bottle filled with tears. Be they ordinary, extraordinary, 43 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:48,679 Speaker 1: or even downright bazaar, the objects alone are just bloodless 44 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:51,079 Speaker 1: chatch keys without the stories that bring them to life. 45 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 1: The museum f a Q section invites contributors to write 46 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: their personal confessions to be frank, withdrawn, furious, imaginative, witty, 47 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: or sad. Your story creates the museum display. They say, 48 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 1: your story is your stage. Anyone with strong feelings about 49 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: t m I etiquette may find the museum's theme to 50 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: be more pure exhibitionism than art. Conversely, reality show loving 51 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 1: bowyers may see it as another delicious way to access 52 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: misery on demand. For as long as humans have had 53 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: sad hearts, there has been love lost and unrequited, And 54 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: for as long as there's been love, there's been heartbreak 55 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: and pain. But perhaps the real takeaway from seeing brokenness 56 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 1: on display is to note that it's in the liminal 57 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 1: space between love and loss that we find our shared 58 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 1: humanity and discover our capacity for empathy. Today's episode is 59 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: based on the article Museum of Broken Relationships Houses Heartache 60 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: on House to Works dot com, written by Carrie Tatrow. 61 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: If you don't happen to be in Croatia to visit 62 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: the museum in person, go to broken Ships dot com 63 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 1: to see some of its exhibits. Brain Stuff is production 64 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio in partnership with how stuffworks dot 65 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: com and is produced by Tyler Clang. Four more podcasts 66 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: from my heart Radio. Visit the heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 67 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.