Lift mechanic mistakenly throws out modern art at Lisse museum, thinking it was trash

A lift mechanic accidentally threw away artwork at the LAM museum in Lisse, mistaking it for left-behind trash. The artwork concerns two hand-painted beer cans by the French artist Alexandre Lavet (1988). The artwork was recovered from the bin and is undamaged, the museum said on Tuesday.

The work of art is titled All the good times we spent together. It consists of two apparently used beer cans, but a closer look reveals that the dented and empty cans have been painstakingly hand-painted. “For artist Alexandre Lavet, the cans symbolize his precious moments with friends. Evenings spent drinking together may not seem special, but are ultimately valuable moments when people connect with each other,” the museum said.

The LAM museum displayed the cans in the glass lift shaft as if they had been left behind during construction. “The theme of our art collection is food and consumption,” said museum director Sietske van Zanten. Through art, we let you look at everyday things in a special way. By presenting the works of art differently, that effect is increased.”

The effect proved too real for a lift mechanic, who mistook the art for actual litter and disposed of it in the bin. The curator noticed the piece was missing and launched a careful search. The cans were eventually found in a bin bag, ready to be taken away. Miraculously, after some careful cleaning, the cans were intact and undamaged.

Van Zanten stressed that the museum doesn’t blame the mechanic, who was standing in for the regular mechanic who tends to the museum’s lift and knows its eccentricities. “He did his job to the best of his ability,” she said. “On a positive note, it is a compliment to artist Alexandre Lavet.”