A DOGOODER mechanic was left red-faced after throwing away what he thought was rubbish – but was actually modern art.
The art in question was by French artist Alexandre Lavet called “All the good times we spent together” and resemble two cans of a popular Belgian brand of lager.
The moment the art was recovered from the rubbish bin[/caption]
French artist Alexandre Lavet’s art “All the good times we spent together”[/caption]
The Dutch lift engineer was new on the site at the LAM museum in Lisse and put the two cans in the rubbish bin after spotting them on top of the museum’s glass lift shaft.
But the installation on the bizarre rubbish-like art deliberate and the engineer had therefore chucked a hand-painted Alexandre Lavet 2016 piece.
Sitting alongside the the lager was a “receipt” for the beers from a supermarket on Rue Berthelot in the well-known Saint-Gilles quarter of Brussels.
After the art curator noticed the modern art had disappeared, a search was called at the museum to desperately find it.
The artwork was eventually “miraculously” found in a rubbish bag put out for collection and was “intact after some cleaning”, according to the museum.
Despite the mess-up, the museum’s director made it clear that the mistake was innocent.
Sietske van Zanten said: “He did his job to the best of his ability.
“On a positive note, it is a compliment to [the] artist, Alexandre Lavet.
“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.”
The museum wouldn’t say the value of the artwork, but warn “it is far too expensive to end up in the rubbish.”
Other pieces of his work are priced between an unbelievable £670 and £2,095.
Artist Lavet, 36, created the artwork to “symbolise his precious moments with friends” after “evenings spend drinking together”.
Lavet has made more than one version of the beer-can art, which includes an edition painted in less-intense colours.
In describing the beer art, the museum’s website says: “Unlike ready-made found objects, such as the famous urinal by Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven and Marcel Duchamp, Lavet’s piece required a lot of time and effort to create.
“For the artist, the cans symbolise cherished memories shared with dear friends.
“While evenings spent enjoying drinks may seem trivial in the grand scheme of things, they ultimately embody precious moments of connection.”
A Dutch classical pianist and art collector who owns two of Lavet’s pieces said: “It was only a matter of time before something like this happened to Alexandre’s work.
“If you make something that basically looks like rubbish, then there is a chance that it will be treated as rubbish, which, in itself, is a risk that I’m sure Alexandre is completely aware of.
“It just goes to show that really it’s OK not to know what art is exactly when you meet it.
“These things can happen, even though you’re in a museum. It is always probably best to ask.”
