You've got to hand it to actor Shia LaBeouf, at least the man tried.
Shia LaBeouf‘s livestream anti-Trump art project, "He Will Not Divide Us," has been closed down. The installation was supposed to continue for the four years, the duration of President Trump's current term.
The protest-driven project was created with LaBeouf's frequent collaborators, Nastja Säde Rönkkö and Luke Turner and was streamed live from New York City's Museum of the Moving Image in Queens.
The website now says "THE MUSEUM HAS ABANDONED US" written on its homepage.
The reason for the exhibition's abrupt closing? Public safety. The museum released a public statement:
"We are proud to have launched this engaging and thought-provoking digital art installation which was experienced by millions of online viewers worldwide. Until public safety concerns overrode the intent of the installation, HEWILLNOTDIVIDE.US generated an important conversation allowing interaction among people from many backgrounds and with different viewpoints. However, ending our engagement with the installation is the most prudent path forward to restore public safety to the Museum, its visitors, staff, and the community."
The project began on Inauguration Day of this year when he invited the public to speak the mantra "He will not divide us," into a stationary camera. From its inception, the live performance project was controversial. Days after it began, LaBeouf was seen on camera confronting a white supremacist. In a separate altercation, he was arrested for an incident that got physical outside of the museum. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 7.
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