Even for long-time modern art lovers this small exhibit, “The Way Things Go” could be easily overlooked and underestimated.

“The Way Things Go” is featured at the Walker Art Center and consists of one large room with sculptures, wall-hanging art pieces and two side rooms with videos.

The main room consists of many things including a large sheet of metal with paint splattered across it, a large case with tattered, open books hanging off a canvas, a small boulder and perhaps what gained the most attention: a piece of shiny, crinkled foil cleverly placed over an air vent in order to look as though it were moving and shaking on its own.

This is the type of art many people mock. They say they could have made this sculpture or that painting with ease. It’s true, the art compiled in this exhibit is simple. The average non-artist could produce something similar to the works featured in “The Way Things Go.”

The art challenges people’s views of art, even modern art which usually defies conventional standards. I’ll admit I did not understand some of the art, however, it was frustrating when other people did not give the exhibit a second look.

This is exhibit is named after a video by David Weiss called “The Way Things Go.” It is featured in the back of the exhibit in a small dark room. It features a Rube Goldberg machine, a chain reaction using odd objects. Weiss uses many objects including tires, rocks, ladders, water and fire to complete the chain of events.

The video and the exhibit as a whole prove that regular pieces of stuff, or even garbage can turn into art. This idea allows people to see art everywhere. Cluttered houses, or dirty street corners can be artful because it is a compilation of the stuff of humans’ lives.

Sadly, this is often realized exclusively in an art setting, when life-sized objects are integrated into the culture of a museum. The message of “The Way Things Go” is that amalgamations of objects can be witnessed in day to day life, not simply an art museum.

“The Way Things Go” opened April 12 and will be on view until October 14 at the Walker Art Center.