A museum in Queens has shut down a controversial artwork by Shia LaBeouf, saying that the anti-Donald Trump installation ‘He Will Not Divide Us‘ has become a “flashpoint for violence” and a public safety hazard.
The artwork, installed over the weekend of Trump’s presidential inauguration, was intended to run 24/7 for the next four years, and people were invited to come and chant “he will not divide us” into a camera live-streaming from the site.
As expected, the piece drew crowds from both the pro-Trump and anti-Trump camps to the Museum of the Moving Image, leading to a number of heated exchanges and actual physical confrontations.
Shia LaBeouf himself was taken away in handcuffs after what has been described as a “scuffle” with another individual at the site, and the museum claims that this was just one of “numerous arrests” that were made.
Per NY Post reports, local residents complained about noise, loitering and “marijuana smells” from the installation, to the point where police from the 114th Precinct set up a 24-hour patrol at the site.
Explaining their decision to shut it down, the museum said:
“The installation created a serious and ongoing public safety hazard for the museum, its visitors, its staff, local residents and businesses. While the installation began constructively, it deteriorated markedly after one of the artists was arrested at the site of the installation and ultimately necessitated this action.”
Shia LaBeouf does not appear to be taking the news well:
#HEWILLNOTDIVIDEUS pic.twitter.com/NMarcz85NB
— Shia LaBeouf (@thecampaignbook) February 10, 2017
Source: NY Post.
Photo: NY Daily News Archives.
