Oxford OVADA Gallery hosts exhibition on the history of heartbreak

The new “After Love” exhibition at the OVADA Gallery in Oxford explores the evolving history of heartbreak and mourning over the last 400 years. Curated by Dr. Sally Holloway, an emotional historian from the University of Warwick, the exhibition features over one hundred works across various media, including film, sculpture, and collage.

The collection traces how societal perceptions of emotional pain have shifted from the early modern period, when heartbreak was viewed as a physical imbalance of bodily fluids, to the 18th century, when it was seen as a loss of life purpose, and the 19th century, when it was often linked to misery and shame. The exhibition aims to encourage open dialogue regarding the health impacts of grief.