A lift technician at a museum in the Netherlands mistakenly threw away a piece of artwork made to look like two empty beer cans.
“All the good times we spent together” by French artist Alexandre Lavet may look like it belongs in a trash can at first glance, but closer inspection reveals it is in fact “meticulously hand-painted with acrylics, with each detail painstakingly replicated,” the LAM Museum said in a statement earlier this month.
“For the artist, the cans symbolise cherished memories shared with dear friends,” added the statement from the museum, which is based in the town of Lisse, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Amsterdam.
“While evenings spent enjoying drinks may seem trivial in the grand scheme of things, they ultimately embody precious moments of connection.”
The worker, who the museum said was covering for the regular technician, could perhaps be forgiven their error given the fact that the beer cans were displayed in a glass lift shaft, as though they were left behind by construction workers.
The artwork’s placement was part of the museum’s trademark of displaying pieces in what it calls “unconventional locations.”
“The theme of our collection is food and consumption,” said Sietske van Zanten, the museum’s director, in the October 1 statement, which did not specify exactly when the mishap took place.
“Our art encourages visitors to see everyday objects in a new light. By displaying artworks in unexpected places, we amplify this experience and keep visitors on their toes.”
The museum underlined that it “bears no ill will” towards the technician.
“He was just doing his job in good faith”, said van Zanten. “In a way, it’s a testament to the effectiveness of Alexandre Lavet’s art.”
The cans were later recovered from a trash bag, with both still intact. They were cleaned and then displayed on a traditional plinth at the museum entrance, according to the statement.
“We wanted to give them their moment in the spotlight,” said curator Elisah van den Bergh in the statement, who hasn’t decided where the work will be displayed next.
“We enjoy surprising our visitors, so no space is off-limits,” she said.
Modern art has a history of misunderstandings and mishaps.
Last year, an artwork consisting of a banana duct-taped to a wall was eaten by a hungry visitor to a gallery in Seoul, South Korea.
The fruit was in fact a famous work by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan titled “Comedian,” which went viral when it sold for $120,000 at Art Basel Miami Beach in December 2019.
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