A Dutch museum recently had a mix-up when a staff member mistakenly threw away a piece of artwork, thinking it was trash. The artwork, titled All The Good Times We Spent Together by French artist Alexandre Lavet, featured two dented beer cans, carefully hand-painted to look like discarded rubbish. It was displayed in the lift of the LAM Museum, designed to blend in with its surroundings.
A lift technician, who was familiar with the building, saw the cans and believed they were just leftovers from visitors. He unknowingly tossed them into the trash, thinking he was tidying up. The museum soon realized the artwork was missing when a curator noticed its absence.
Thankfully, after a quick search, the artwork was found intact in a bin bag that was about to be discarded. The cans were recovered, cleaned, and restored to their original state without damage.
LAM Museum’s director, Sietske van Zanten, commented that this misunderstanding highlighted the effectiveness of the piece, which aims to make people see everyday objects in a new light. The artwork is now safely displayed at the museum entrance to avoid further confusion.
