Netherlands: museum finds work of art in the trash

The work, titled “All the Good Times We Spent Together” by French artist Alexandre Lavet, looks at first glance like two empty beer cans, one crushed.

These are actually two cans meticulously hand painted in acrylic. “A lot of time and effort went into creating these,” according to the museum. But their artistic value escaped a technician, who threw them in the trash while they were on display in a glass elevator shaft.

Unusual places

Froukje Budding, a spokesperson for the LAM museum in Lisse, in the west of the Netherlands, told AFP that the artworks were often placed in unusual locations, hence their display in an elevator. “We try to surprise the visitor every time,” she explained.

Curator Elisah van den Bergh returned from a short break and noticed the cans were missing. She retrieved the work from a trash bag just in time as it was about to be thrown away.

“We have now placed the work in a more traditional location, on a plinth, so that it can rest after its adventure,” Ms Budding told AFP. She stressed that she had “no hard feelings” towards the technician, who had just started at the museum. “He was just doing his job,” she said. “Our art encourages visitors to see everyday objects in a new light,” explained Sietske van Zanten, museum director. “By exhibiting works of art in unexpected places, we amplify this experience and keep visitors on their toes,” added Ms. Van Zanten.

With this in mind, it is unlikely that the cans will remain on their traditional base for long, Ms Budding noted. “We need to think seriously about a careful place to put them next,” she told AFP.

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