'Trash' Art Accidentally Thrown in Garbage by Museum Staffer

Museum workers rushed to save a piece of artwork from the trash after it was accidentally thrown away by a staffer who mistook it for garbage.

French artist Alexandre Lavet's piece "All the good times we spent together" may appear to be just two crushed beer cans to the average viewer, but upon closer inspection, reveals to be two hand-painted cans made to resemble Jupiler beers, as reported by Artnet News.

A mechanic, who had been covering for the museum's regular mechanic at the LAM Museum in Lisse, Netherlands, "mistook the work as abandoned junk and threw it away" in the trash bag, the museum said in a statement.

The artwork had been displayed in an elevator and had not been placed behind glass when the mechanic found it. Sietske van Zanten, the museum's director, said in a statement, "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."

Museum Curator Elisah van den Bergh found the art piece missing shortly afterwards, and was able to recover the cans in time before they were truly gone. After being cleaned, the cans were temporarily displayed at the museum entrance before being returned back to a more average display.

van Zanten said the museum was not mad at the mechanic as he "was just doing his job in good faith." She added, "In a way, it's a testament to the effectiveness of Alexandre Lavet's art."