Sunway Psychology Club’s The Break Up Exhibition: “Explore the hidden feelings and move on”

“Our society oblige us with marriages, funerals, and even graduation farewells, but deny us any formal recognition of the demise of a relationship, despite its strong emotional effect.”  
-    Museum of Broken Relationships, Helsinki, Finland

The Sunway Psychology Club organised the 1st Break Up Exhibition with the theme “Explore the Hidden Feelings and Move On” on 15 November 2018 at the Gallery at Sunway University.
This exhibition aimed at creating awareness of relationships breakups and related problems in different forms of relationships, as well as to foster more helpful attitudes for coping towards a more positive future.

The exhibition collected a range of personal items that signified heartbreak experiences. These items that ranged from teddy bears, clothing, letters and all kinds of other personal items were donated by 60 participants. These items were displayed together each with a personalised and anonymous story behind the breakups, describing their passion, romance and heartbreak experiences.

This exhibition also aimed to normalise break ups as a real part of life that people go through and each would have their own story to tell. As affirmed by Associate Professor Dr Alvin Ng, the Head of Department of Psychology, “This exhibition shows that you actually DO survive break ups – many people have done so”. He also was interviewed briefly on the exhibition (see video: Interview : https://goo.gl/kdd8yi)

The one-day exhibition attracted about an estimated 500 visitors, with 254 of them responded to a post-event survey and rated the exhibition an 8.04/10. Visitors were also offered a free listening service by Sidewalk Talk Malaysia Team, led by Mr Lim Meng Zhen, after visiting the exhibition should they need a listening ear. The exhibition was also featured in Harian Metro and Sunway Echo Media.

The organising team (Seated L-R): Ho Bang Yao – President of Sunway Psychology Club, Lim Meng Zhen – Part-Time Lecturer in Psychology, Dr Elizaveta Berezina – Advisor of Sunway Psychology Club, Michael Ch’ng Eng Zhi - Organising Chairman. (First row L-R): Amal Hamizah binti Jailani, Prasana Kumari, Tey Ai Xin, Leong Jia Xin, Chow Shze Loon, Then Yi Qi, Chen Yee Hsien, Tan Sze Lynn, Rachel Tay Yu Ting. (Second row L-R): Cheah Gene Yan, Yee Wei Wah, Low Yi Sheng, Ho Yin Jie. Third row from left Au Jane, Justin Teoh Chie Xuen, Tham Zi Yun. (Not in the picture): Amirah binti Jamil, Gan Jia Chin, Ch’ng Lei, Chan Wei Yang. Photographer : Genevieve Goh Huay Hunn

This exhibition was also part of the Sunway Psychology Club’s effort in contributing to Sunway championing UN’s Sustainable Development Goals No. 3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages) and 4 (Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all). For more information about this project, please visit Sunway Psychology Club Facebook page or https://goo.gl/Neq7rh   

Dr Elizabeth Lee, Senior Executive Director of the Sunway Education Group visited the exhibition and had this to say about it: (see video: https://goo.gl/SaUmzw)

Some of the guests who visited the exhibition:
 

(L-R): Associate Prof Dr Lin Mei-Hua, Dr Eliza Berezina, Assoc. Prof. Dr Lau Sian Lun – Associate Dean (Academic) of School of Science and Technology,  Ms Woo Pei Jun, Lim Meng Zhen and Dr Grace Yap Chin Choo.

The organising committee with Associate Prof Dr Alvin Ng Lai Oon - Head of Department of Psychology, and Dr Priyadarshini Moharkonda Srinivasan.

(L-R) : Michael Ch’ng – Organising Chairperson, Professor Hew Gill - Associate Provost, Dr Yong Min Hooi from the Department of Psychology, Dr Elizabeth Lee  - Senior Executive Director of Sunway Education Group, Ho Bang Yao – Sunway Psychology Club President, Lim Meng Zhen – Organising Committee Member, and Dr Eliza Berezina – Club Advisor.

 
A visitor is reading the story.

Items were displayed together with personalised story about the relationship.

COMMENTS AND REFLECTIONS FROM VISITORS

“Enlightenment. We think of items and see little value but we see our items and we know that value and story it has. With this exhibition, we can see the value and story that goes along with the items.”

“I feel that most people share the same feeling of some situation and you are not alone when facing all these sad stuff”

“I got a feeling of comfort that someone in this world is actually experiencing something similar. It makes me feel that I am not alone.”

“This is a good platform for the people who have gone through heartbreaks to let their feelings out and give up the following items as part of moving on.”

“Many people clung on to their past relationship because there are objects that reminds them of the memories they had with the other person. Donating the objects that remind them sad/happy memories does not necessarily removed those memories permanently but it gave the courage for them to move on.”