HeWillNotDivide.Us

Cafe Society
1

This is art, I’ll put it in CS.

http://hewillnotdivide.us/ is a participatory art installation, and what I’m calling a “weird New York thing,” with a camera outside NYC’s Museum of the Moving Image. It outputs a continuous live stream started at 9 am January 20, and continuing until the* next *President takes office. Anyone can walk up and join the stream. It so far seems to involve a lot of New Yorkers (in warm hats) chanting “He Will Not Divide Us.” But people do add variations and their own observations.

It has of course attracted trolls, counter-protestors, whatever.

Shia LaBeouf is involved, and he has become a target of the “Hitler did nothing wrong” kids from 4chan’s /pol/. Wednesday one of them showed up, got close to the camera, called Shia over, and said that above phrase to Shia to provoke him. I don’t think Shia actually hurt the guy, I don’t know, but Shia pushed him away in surprise and disgust–that much is on video.

Now Shia’s been arrested. Part of me wonders if the arrest is actually part of the show, but I don’t really expect it is.

The stream isn’t that interesting, but I like the ambition of the size of the project. The quarrels and the arrest, those are kind of interesting. I’m going to keep an eye on it.

I don’t know if I’d actually bother to walk down there if I were in NYC. But I think it’s a neat Weird Thing, and a sort of engagingly odd protest activity.

I wonder if it would catch on other places. Chicago? Oakland? Seattle? Miami?
Is this something that would resonate where you are, or am I right to think of it as a “weird New York thing”?

2

Immediately proving their premise wrong.

3

Shia arrested outside the museum for grabbing and pushing a Trump supporter.

And no, it isn’t a weird NY thing. It’s a weird Shy The Beef thing.

4

It’s an odd choice of name. He’s already divided people, that’s how he won the election. As for Shia LaBeouf his issues have little to do with politics.

5

It is an odd name. If someone says things like “Hitler did nothing wrong” then hell yes there’s a divide between he and I. I will not compromise with such a sentiment.

It certainly seems like there was a divide between that guy and Shia.

6

From what I gather, it’s a live-stream of people milling around eating donuts and drinking coffee.

7

You know, art.

8

There’s a big argument happening right now with a Trump cap-wearer.

9

We currently have a dude eating a Simpsons style donut while millennials dance and chant Hare Krishna style the aforementioned catchphrase complete with tambourine. Errrr… art… what ya gonna do?

10

So the Museum of the Moving Image has gone political now? What a shame. I liked it, when it was about the history and technology.

11

No worries, MOMI has had a bellyful of LaBeouf and his antics.