A pair of handcuffs is displayed as a visitor looks at an exhibit from the 'Museum of Broken Relationships' during the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2009 January 7, 2009.

From an empty ring box to sexy lingerie and a pair of fur-lined handcuffs, an exhibition of the relics¹ of failed love has come to Asia, hoping to bring solace² to the heartbroken.

The "Museum of Broken Relationships," which opened in Singapore on Wednesday, is a traveling display of items related to failed relationships donated by people who live in the cities the museum has visited.

Concept founders³ Olinka Vistica and Drazen Grubisic decided⁴ to set up the exhibit in Croatia after consoling friends over failed romances, and hope its global tour will offer people the chance to overcome the pain of heartbreak through art.

These remnants of several love affairs have so far shown in Croatia, London, Berlin, and Singapore is their first Asian stop.

"The Museum of Broken Relationships is an art concept which proceeds from the assumption that objects possess...holograms of memories and emotions, and intends with its layout to create a space of secure memory in order to preserve the heritage of broken relationships," says the exhibit's website.

"That's why it could be therapeutic⁵."

The museum, which has actual displays as well as a virtual, online space, has everything from romantic letters to photographs to gifts given to lovers such as soft toys, but also includes unusual exhibits such as a prosthetic leg donated by a war veteran who fell in love with his physiotherapist.

In Berlin, an axe⁶ used by a woman to break up her ex-girlfriend's furniture, along with the broken furniture, was on display alongside a wedding dress and a pair of skates.

Every single object in the museum is anonymous⁷, and has a short description of the relationship it was part of.

日前，一项旨在为失恋人士带来安慰的“失恋物品”巡回展登陆亚洲，参展物品五花八门，从空的戒指盒、性感内衣到毛绒边手铐等应有尽有。

这个“分手博物馆”于本周三在新加坡正式开展，这个“失恋”主题展在各地巡展，展品主要由展览所到城市的居民捐献。

这一创意主题展的发起人是奥林卡•韦斯蒂卡和德拉赞•格鲁比斯克。他们从安慰失恋的朋友中得到启发，决定在克罗地亚创办该展览。他们希望这一全球巡回展能通过艺术抚平失恋人士内心的痛苦。

失恋主题展已先后在克罗地亚、伦敦、柏林展出，新加坡是在亚洲的第一站。

该展览“官方”网站称：“分手博物馆是一种艺术理念，它的创意源于这样一种假设，即这些物品都承载着人们的记忆和情感，采取这样一种展览的形式是为了为失恋的人们创造一个安全的记忆空间，来珍藏破裂感情的‘遗物’。”

“这就是为什么它能够疗伤的原因。”

除实地展览外，“分手博物馆”还有一个虚拟的网上展览空间，展出的物品五花八门，不仅有情书、照片和毛绒玩具等送给对方的礼物，还包括一些不常见的东西，比如一位参战老兵捐赠的一段假肢，当年他与护理他的医生坠入爱河。

在柏林的展览上还出现过一位女士用来砸烂自己前女友家具的斧子，以及那些破碎的家具。此外，还有一件婚纱和一双溜冰鞋。

每件物品都是匿名展出，但配有与之相关的那段感情的简要说明。

Vocabulary:

therapeutic: Having or exhibiting healing powers（治疗疾病的；有治疗功效的）