Museum features items from broken relationships

When a relationship ends, each party often argues over the large items, but there are often a lot of small items people would rather never see again.

Most of the time these items end up in the garbage can, but one couple in Croatia didn't want these items, which made up the history of their relationship, to be separated. So Olinka Vistina and Drazen Grubisic decided to put them in a museum and called it the Museum of Broken Relationships. It began as a local installation and is now a permanent museum. Interest in the museum grew and now some of the items are on tour in England.

The National Centre for Craft and Design in Sleaford is presenting items from broken relationships in a newly opened exhibit that runs through the middle of April.

"We are fascinated by the idea of the tangible object and what makes it valuable and why," reads the Centre's website. "From the tragic and war-torn, to the simple, sexy, silly, and downright hilarious the objects and their stories will strike chords of understanding, healing and universal connection in all corners of the globe from South Africa to the Philippines, Ireland to Singapore and from the U.S.A. to the U.K."

While the items include teddy bears, pieces of jewelry, teapots and love letter, there are also some bizarre ones. A TASER, an axe, a toy caterpillar, fluffy pink handcuffs and someone's tears collected in a jar have also been donated.

People were encouraged to donate items and stories from broken relationships to the English collection. The items didn't just have to come from romantic relationships, the museum was also open to objects from broken friendships.

"We are requesting contributions and objects from local residents which relate to, or represent, the end of the 'relationship'," said Laura Mabbut, exhibitions officer at the National Centre for Craft and Design to This is Lincolnshire a few weeks ago. "The objects may be of little or no worth, but it is the status of the item that has been accrued because of who it relates to and what it represents that we are interested in."

If you are thinking Canada doesn't have any interesting museums, you'd be wrong. There is the Potato Museum in Prince Edward Island, the Accordion Museum in Quebec and the Vulcan Tourism and Trek Station in Alberta.

The museum in Croatia, which features more than 700 objects from all over the world, won the Kenneth Hudson Award for the most innovative museum in Europe at the European Museum Awards last year.

It is open most days and costs 20 Kunas or about $3.50 CAD.

While many may think the installation in England may be depressing, the website reads, "Contrary to its suggestive title the Museum is full of hope, life, resilience and inspiration."

(CP photo of TASER not on display)