Valuable beer cans thrown away Museum employee throws artwork in the bin
At the LAM Museum in Lisse, the Netherlands, an employee accidentally disposed of a work of art that looks deceptively similar to two empty beer cans in the garbage. The work was saved.
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- The LAM Museum in Lisse has fallen victim to its own unusual art concept.
- An employee accidentally threw away a work of art because he mistook two deceptively real painted beer cans, which were on display in the elevator, for garbage.
- A museum curator was only just able to rescue the work from the garbage.
- Now the cans are to "rest from their adventure" on a plinth before a new, unusual place is found for them.
At first glance, the two dented beer cans appear to have been thrown away. On closer inspection, however, they turn out to be a work of art. They are painstakingly hand-painted with acrylic paints and "took a lot of time and effort", according to the LAM Museum in Lisse, the Netherlands. The work comes from the studio of French artist Alexandre Lavet and is entitled "All The Good Times We Spent Together".
The museum had come up with a very special place to display the two beer cans: the elevator. Museum spokeswoman Froukje Budding explained to AFP that works of art are often placed in unusual places at the LAM in Lisse to surprise visitors.
It's just a pity that one of the museum's employees was apparently not made aware of this. He didn't recognize the artistic value of the two beer cans and promptly threw the artwork in the bin.
Valuable cans rescued from bin bag
Curator Elisah van den Bergh noticed the loss of the cans when she returned from a break. "We had the shock of our lives," she told regional broadcasterOmroep West. "I entered the museum, went to the elevator and immediately saw that two works of art were missing from the elevator shaft." After a brief search, the curator was able to rescue the artwork from a bin bag just in time before it was finally disposed of.
"We have now placed the work in a more traditional location on a plinth so that it can rest after its adventure," says Budding. She emphasizes that there is no ill will towards the employee. The man has only been working at the museum for a short time and was "just doing his job", says Budding.
The cans are soon to return to an unusual location. However, Budding says that it is important to think carefully about where to place them next. The aim of the museum is to showcase everyday objects such as food, drinks and packaging in an artistic way.