Museum of Broken Relationships wins Kenneth Hudson Award

Congratulations to the The Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb with winning the prestigious Kenneth Hudson Award!

ECF supported the project in 2007 when it was still “a travelling exhibition revolving around the concept of failed relationships and their ruins”. However they became so successful they got a permanent space  in Zagreb. Last weekend, the museum received the Award during the European Museum of the Year Award Ceremony in Bremershaven, Germany.

Here is the comment from the judging panel:

The Museum of Broken Relationships encourages discussion and reflection not only on the fragility of human relationships but also on the political, social and cultural circumstances surrounding the stories being told. The museum respects the audience's capacity for understanding wider historical, social issues inherent to different cultures and identities and provides a catharsis for donors on a more personal level.

When a relationship ends, your first instinct might be to get rid of any evidence of your former love but the Museum of Broken Relationships encourages people to keep hold of those momentoes –and puts them in display.  You can even go to their website to send in your personal object – explaining your broken relationship.

The Kenneth Hudson Award, given in honour of the founder of the European Museum of the Year, goes to a museum, person, project or group of people who have demonstrated the most unusual, daring and, perhaps, controversial achievement that challenges common perceptions of the role of museums in society and carries forward the spirit of Kenneth Hudson.