Coming In Q4 2024: Paving the Past—A Journey Through Broken Roadways

The Museum of Broken Things is excited to announce its latest exhibition, Paving the Past: A Journey Through Broken Roadways. This immersive showcase examines the history, symbolism, and personal stories behind the roads we travel—and sometimes abandon. From crumbling highways to forgotten paths, the exhibition invites visitors to explore the ways in which roadways represent progress, division, and human perseverance, while also reflecting the fragility of the systems that connect us.

One of the highlights of the exhibit is a collection of abandoned and decaying road fragments, sourced from all over the world. These pieces of cracked asphalt, washed-out bridges, and deteriorating cobblestones tell the stories of roads that once held the promise of connection and opportunity but have since fallen into disrepair. Accompanying these physical remnants are photographs and testimonies from those who traveled these roads—workers, migrants, and travelers whose journeys were interrupted by the breakdown of infrastructure. These stories reveal how the failure of roadways can profoundly impact lives, isolating communities and altering the course of history.

The exhibition also delves into the deeper cultural meanings of roadways, using art, film clips, and literature to illustrate how roads are often symbols of freedom, escape, and the pursuit of dreams. Yet, just as roads connect, they also divide. Through a historical lens, Paving the Past highlights how road construction has often been a tool of exclusion, cutting through marginalized communities, displacing people, and reinforcing economic and racial divides. This thought-provoking section of the exhibition encourages visitors to reconsider how roadways, both broken and intact, shape not only physical landscapes but also social ones.

Paving the Past concludes with an exploration of the future of roadways in an era of rapid technological change and climate challenges. Interactive displays allow visitors to imagine what might come next—roads that adapt to changing environments, or new ways of connecting that transcend the limitations of asphalt and concrete. As you leave the exhibition, you’re invited to reflect on your own relationship with the roads you’ve traveled, the ones you’ve left behind, and the broken paths that tell the stories of our collective journeys.