The Art of Breaking Up

Photo: Getty Images

Breaking up is hard to do. But how do you really get the last word in the final argument and still retain some sense of style? You immortalize your breakup by donating to the Museum of Broken Relationships.  You score major style points for supporting art and receive free therapy. The traveling museum visits various cities and asks people to contribute mementos that represent failed relationships—whether they are late night booty calls or civil unions.

The public donates an object with a short description of the objects importance, and voila! It's cathartic in that screaming at the top of your lungs kind of way. So when the museum comes to your town, donate your furry handcuffs, the Aussie Bum underwear or Polo shirt you borrowed when you first spent the night at his house, the matchbook he wrote his cell phone number on at the bar, or  the J. Crew cashmere sweater you wore to his family reunion where you finally split.

The best donated object (so far) is an axe that a lesbian used to chop up her ex's furniture after their breakup. "The more her room filled up with chopped up furniture, the more I started to feel better. Two weeks after she was kicked out she came to take the furniture. It was neatly arranged into small heaps and fragments of wood." Now THAT is catharsis at its best.

[BBC News]