Rotterdam museum visitors accidentally step on famous peanut butter floor

The famous Peanut Butter Floor, being displayed in a museum in Rotterdam, has drawn visitors from all over the Netherlands. Unfortunately, a few visitors have already stepped on the art piece less than a week after opening.

Peanut butter floor at Dutch museum gets stepped on 

The Depot of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen has been displaying the famous Pindakaasvloer (Peanut Butter Floor) by late artist Wim T. Schippers since July 9. People from all over the Netherlands have flocked to the museum in Rotterdam to see the 25-square-metre art piece made of 390 kilograms of peanut butter.

While looking at the artwork, a visitor got a little too close and accidentally stepped on it less than a week after opening. "That man was naturally terrified when he saw what was on his shoe," museum spokesperson René Timmermans told AD. If there were a perfect time to use the Dutch phrase Helaas pindakaas, this would be it!

Helaas pindakaas, another shoe in the peanut butter

And he wasn’t the only one. Not only have previous editions of the Peanut Butter Floor been stepped on, but another visitor recently dropped their mobile phone on the floor of peanut butter while trying to take the perfect selfie.

When something like this happens, the Dutch museum quickly isolates the visitor to prevent the sticky sandwich topping from spreading throughout the building, for cleaning purposes and as a precaution for visitors with nut allergies. So-called “peanut butter plasterers” are also on hand with a jar of Calvé peanut butter to touch up the art piece when a mishap occurs.

The Peanut Butter Floor was the brain-child of Wim T. Schippers, a Dutch artist and TV producer. Versions of it were displayed in 1969, 1997 and 2011. The Rotterdam museum began assembling the newest edition in memory of Schippers after he passed away in June. The piece will be displayed at the museum until September 6.