One man’s trash is another man’s treasure — or priceless artwork.
A lift technician at a museum in the Netherlands accidentally threw out an art display painstakingly created to resemble two empty beer cans.
The piece by French artist Alexandre Lavet, titled “All The Good Times We Spent Together,” looks deceptively simple to the naked eye, and could easily be mistaken for trash.
However, the work is actually “meticulously hand-painted with acrylics, with each detail painstakingly replicated,” the LAM Museum said in a statement Oct. 1.
The empty cans are meant to symbolize the happy times spent among friends, as the title suggests.
“While evenings spent enjoying drinks may seem trivial in the grand scheme of things, they ultimately embody precious moments of connection,” the LAM Museum said.
The art was displayed in a glass lift shaft, giving it the appearance that it could’ve been left behind by construction workers earlier in the day, only adding to the hapless lift technician’s confusion. The LAM Museum is known for displaying its featured works in unusual, sometimes mundane or seemingly random locations.
“Our art encourages visitors to see everyday objects in a new light,” said LAM Museum Director Sietske van Zanten.
“By displaying artworks in unexpected places, we amplify this experience and keep visitors on their toes.”
The museum does not blame the technician — if anything, they’ve come to view his gaffe as a “testament to the effectiveness of Alexandre Lavet’s art,” van Zanten said.
The cans were retrieved from the trash and, after being cleaned, placed back on display — this time on a plinth near the entrance of the museum to ensure they won’t be discarded again.
