A photo shared on Facebook allegedly shows an illustration of monsters on the floor of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). 

Verdict: False

The photo is miscaptioned. A CERN spokesperson confirmed that no such illustration is displayed in the lobby.

Fact Check: 

A plan to temporarily shut down CERN’s particle accelerators has been drafted in order to conserve energy and improve grid stability, according to the Independent. CERN, along with the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics, has created a device for aiding in the preservation of historical artifacts which will be transported to Florence, Italy, CERN reported.

The Facebook post purports CERN featured an unsettling image in their lobby. The post shares an image of an illustration on the floor featuring demonic creatures crawling out of a hole.

“The lobby in CERN,” the caption reads. “Perfectly normal, nothing to see here.”

The photo is miscaptioned, however. The image appears on the floor of a gaming event. The image does not show CERN’s lobby, a CERN spokesperson confirmed in an email to Check Your Fact. (RELATED: Viral Post Falsely Claims Connection Between Gulf Of Mexico Fire And The Large Hadron Collider)

“It appears as though the Facebook post features a photograph of an artistic installation created by Kurt Wenner, which was designed for the E3 gaming exposition in Los Angeles,” the spokesperson said. “I can confirm that artist Kurt Wenner has not collaborated with CERN on artistic installations and we have not had this mural (nor a similar one) featured on our campus. Our lobby showcases Serge Moro’s mosaic ‘Cosmic Song,’ which was commissioned by CERN in 1985 and completed in 1987.” 

The spokesperson directed Check Your Fact to a 2013 blog post from artist Wenner, showing the illustration at E3. Wenner shared a short video featuring his work which shows the E3 floor. At 25 seconds, the image can be seen surrounded by E3 pillars.

This is not the first time artistry has been the center of misinformation. Check Your Fact recently debunked a photo allegedly showing Pope Francis wearing an oversized white puffer coat.