With the help of memories, whether joyful or heartbreaking, an ordinary object can become a time machine. Since objects hold our memories how do we decide what to throw out and what to keep? “Everything In Its Right Place,” examines the power of mementos.

We start our inquiry with Marie Kondo, the professional organizer and author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Spark Joy. Her KonMari method of de-cluttering is a global sensation, but what if an object does not spark joy but we cannot bear to throw it away?

Part 1: The Museum of Broken Relationships invites people to anonymously donate love momentos, helping participants to both let go of and memorialize a significant relationship. “What we are commemorating are these memorable moments when you are able to say there is before and after,” says Olinka Vistika, the co-founder of the museum. “Things were never the same after that moment, and these are moments that mark us profoundly.”

Part 2: “The Significant Object Project” attempts to see if ordinary objects can become valuable mementos when paired with an imagined memory.

Part 3: As humans, we’re in the business of making meaning. We want to make sense of our lives, and that’s why memories and objects are perfect bedfellows. They bond together and give us a vivid reality to play back, or a seductive fiction we want to believe. How do we tell the difference between reality and fiction when our future is on the line?

Image credits: Banner photo by Amanda Vandenberg; Photo on right by Samantha Martin; Artwork by Ruxandradraws.

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