Friday, October 11, 2024
Art Shaped as Beer Cans Are Mistaken for Trash by Museum Staff
mymodernmet.com: Many artists have long found inspiration in contemporary, mundane objects. Much like Marcel Duchamp‘s upside-down urinal titled Fountain or Andy Warhol‘s Campbell's Soup Cans paintings, the boundaries between art and item continue to be explored by artists.
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11 comments:
The fact that the artist’s work wasn’t lost means I can safely find this extremely funny. I’m glad there were no repercussions against the mechanic, who, like the museum said, was just trying to do his job. It’s no one’s fault: displaying the art randomly in an elevator with no placard certainly does make it seem like trash someone left behind, but at the same time, I feel like up close it’s noticeable that these are no ordinary beer cans. Still, we tend to make decisions based on what makes the most sense in our routines, and if it were me, even if the cans looked oddly meticulous, I don’t think it would’ve occurred to me that they were an art piece purposely displayed there. While it’s cute that the museum wants to display this in whimsical places and it makes sense for the artist’s intention, the decision definitely need to be more conscious and probably labeled to avoid this in the future (and to give the artist their credit)!
I found this article interesting on two accounts, one that it almost acts as a complement to the artist, and two why does the museum staff assume there's a lot of beer can casually on the floor in one corner. This piece acts as a complement because the artist was able to create realistic enough cans to fool the museum staff. They were also able to curate an immersive enough exhibit and showing of their art allowing it to become real. But my real question is why a museum staff member might assume it's normal for a plethora of beer bottles to just be laying on the floor. I can understand just mindlessly going through and doing your job but in my personal experience I have never been to a museum with an open bar. I guess in the eyes of many all trash looks the same, even beautifully detailed artwork.
This is hysterical. This reminds me of a, less funny, moment I had in high school. Our art teacher was making a hyperrealistic scuplture of a rotting banana, and when it was just at the painting stage it got left out and was thrown away (and lost) by a janitor. Our art teacher was devastated, and when she moved on to making an apple she made sure to store it in her office, where no one was supposed to be but her. This story is a cautionary tale to proper labeling of works (plaques are a necessity), but also a compliment to the artists accuracy.
This situation was very funny to me, but I also acknowledge that it could have ended very poorly. This is a huge compliment to the artist, in that he succeeded in what he was attempting to create. Honestly, I was just surprised that this hadn't happened sooner. The choice to put them in the elevator is surely an artistic one, but I wonder how many visitors had looked at it from a glance and thought to themselves “Why does this prestigious art museum have trash in its elevators? And who was drinking beer in here?”. Explained to me in the article, I understand what the artist and museum staff were trying to accomplish– but as a visitor in the museum, I too would have been confused. While I am appreciative of art, even more modern art, I honestly do not understand how the museum staff thought this was a good idea.
-Ava Basso
The way I see it, no one is at fault. When installing and exhibiting a art piece it is important that artists and curators take into account how people could interact with each aspect of the art. This includes understanding that when you make art that emulates trash and don’t appropriately label it as not being trash it can be mistakenly thrown away. I am glad that the art was recovered before it was lost forever. All this to say the artist must have done a really good job of creating realistic art for it to be mistaken as what it was modeled on.
Huh. I saw the picture of the art exhibit and immediately realized where the miscommunication was. The beer cans look super realistic to be fair. I think thus was just a huge misunderstanding, I do not think there were any bad intentions or anyone was at fault in this particular situation. I am happy to hear that they found the cans before they were thrown out and now they have a more obvious exhibit for them. I think this is actually kind of funny. I think the idea of the exhibit was interesting and that they way it was executed was also interesting, but this was nothing like I have ever seen before. Very interesting, the beer cans were an interesting and kind of funny choice. Overall, I think this whole situation made me giggle, as it was kinda stupid and funny, but I am glad that the artwork was recovered.
When I first read the headline of the article I was confused and outrages on the artists behalf however, after gaining more context to the events that have happened and seeing pictures of the art I understand how a mistake like this could come to be. Full confession is don't understand the impact of modern art like many of my peers but I do understand that art like this has value and meaning. Although I like the idea of the "playful" placement of this installation I believe that the placement of art pieces, especially those which resemble trash at a quick glance, need to be more carefully considered. Although it was a staff member who accidentally threw this installation away it just as easily could have been a well intentioned guest. Although art is often placed in ways to surprise patrons it is important to place art in a place where it will be somewhat protected from accidents.
As hilarious as this is I can’t help but feel sympathetic for the artist. To hear that an art piece you’ve worked on for so long just got tossed away like trash has to be quite disappointing. I do have to say the fact that the mechanic just didn’t bat an eye to the fact that there were open alcohol containers in a museum is quite funny. I wouldn’t generally see that as a location people would consume alcoholic beverages but to each their own I suppose. I’m very glad that the art pieces were recovered and intact luckily for the sake of that poor artist. However, this still does give a lesson on the importance of plaques and labeling the artwork in museums with titles and the artist’s name. I do appreciate the more unique placement of the artwork, beer cans on the floor after a party aren’t that usual.
I wonder if there was a plaque or anything near them in the elevator that signaled what they were because if not that’s kind of stupid to put an impressive replica of a piece of trash in a public accessibility transportation tool *cough* an elevator. I think the mechanic and the artist both were too good at their job and the museums decision to put them on the floor of an elevator is odd and confusing unless there was a plaque/label somewhere. Glad they were found and rescued though good eye by the lady who noticed they were gone. I also think in a museum you should attempt to make the artwork not so steal-able because anyone clearly could have just walked away with them (which would be pretty cool for the thieves and tragic to the artist.) Great article though very entertaining read.
This predicament is a great summary of modern art - it can be anywhere within the range of beauty and trash. I find this to be absolutely hilarious in that Alexandre Lavet’s piece All the good times we spent together at the LAM museum in the Netherlands is so well made that it was thought to be real trash by museum staff despite the piece having been present in the museum (granted, in varied locations) since 2016. The idea behind the piece is beautiful too, having been inspired by the artist’s friends and his dynamic and amalgamated experiences with them. I’m glad a curator found and returned them to the rightful place after the mechanic good naturedly but mistakenly threw them out - an irony considering the piece’s intended message. Frankly, I think it’s a bit of a miracle that a visitor didn’t commit this error in years prior to this occurrence!
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