Beer Can Artwork Mistakenly Tossed in the Trash by Museum Staff

Art is indeed in the eye of the beholder. At the LAM Museum in The Netherlands, an elevator technician recently mistook a piece of art for beer cans that belonged in the trash.

Created by French artist Alexandre Lavet, the art piece, titled “All the good times we spent together,” initially appears to be nothing more than two empty beer cans.

However, upon closer inspection, “These dented cans were meticulously hand-painted with acrylics, with each detail painstakingly replicated.”

The error was an easy one to make, as the piece of art wasn’t displayed in a traditional gallery setting. Instead, the cans exhibited inside the museum’s glass elevator shaft, as if left behind by construction workers.

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easy mistake to make tbf

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“The theme of our collection is food and consumption,” said Sietske van Zanten, the museum’s director. “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 said it holds no ill will towards the technician, who was covering for a regular employee.

“He was just doing his job in good faith,” Sietske van Zanten said. “In a way, it’s a testament to the effectiveness of Alexandre Lavet’s art.”

The beer cans were eventually recovered from a garbage bag, where they were discovered intact. They’re now being displayed in a traditional setting—because, curator Elisah van den Bergh, explained, “We wanted to give them their moment in the spotlight.”