About
WARNING: THIS PROJECT MAY MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE
This project was born from the realization that the Burning Man community has so many members who struggle every day with mental illness. But within our community there is also the same ugly stigma against mental illness that exists in the outside world. We who struggle with mental health know what it's like to be told to "Just try to think positive", to hear someone say "Oh, I was sad once too, but then I decided to get over it. Why don't you try that?", to have friends or relatives who don't want to hear it, who insist that we’re just attention-seeking, who pretend that our illnesses and traumas do not exist because these things make them feel uncomfortable or inconvenienced. And this is why we have created The Museum Of The Broken.
We will build a gallery where we broken souls are allowed to express the things that are painful and scary, that isolate us, that force us to stay home for fear of rejection, that leave us sobbing on the floor as the weevils in our heads tell us we are worthless, that everyone would be better off if we were dead.
A place where we refuse to let the shame or fear of judgement force us to lie or hide the pain we live with every day. A heartfelt and powerful exhibit of artifacts and art, where mental illness is acknowledged as real and valid, where we are finally allowed to say: "We are here. We are alive. We are fighting every day. We matter. AND WE WILL NOT DISAPPEAR SO THAT YOU WON'T HAVE TO FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE"
Our museum will pay honor to those who struggle in two ways:
First, there will be multiple acrylic boxes hung in a stark and engaging display, and each box will contain a single "artifact", a material object contributed by a member of the community who lives with mental illness or mental health struggles. Each artifact will be a visible piece of that person's story, their struggle, their hurts. It will be a way to let people speak, safely and anonymously, and share a piece of their lived experience with the community.
Second, we will have select works of art hanging on the walls, as another way in which people who live with mental illness can speak through imagery, and share their voice with everyone.
Please visit our FAQ page to learn more. If you have questions or would like to contribute a display, please contact us at:
museumofthebroken@gmail.com
Only the Project Lead and Build Lead will know your identity, and we will answer your questions and guide you through the process of contributing, all while taking the utmost care to protect your privacy and safety.