LaBeouf, Rönkkö & Turner work heads to Liverpool

LaBeouf, Rönkkö & Turner's politically charged art project HEWILLNOTDIVIDE.US – a continuous live stream of the statement for four years, or the duration of Donald Trump's presidency – has been adopted by FACT Liverpool

Feature by The Skinny North | 22 Mar 2017

From today, artists Shia LaBeouf, Nastja Säde Rönkkö and Luke Turner's statement of resistance HEWILLNOTDIVIDE.US is being broadcast from FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) in Liverpool. A flag emblazoned with the words "HE WILL NOT DIVIDE US" will be continuously live-streamed from the Liverpool gallery to hewillnotdivide.us for four years, or the duration of the 45th Presidency of the United States.

The project began on 20 January, the day of Donald Trump's inauguration, at the Museum of the Moving Image, New York, where visitors were invited to deliver the words "HE WILL NOT DIVIDE US" into a live-stream camera mounted on a wall outside the museum. Open to everyone, the idea behind the project was that the words act as 'a show of resistance or insistence, opposition or optimism, guided by the spirit of each individual participant and the community'.

"America is simply not safe enough for this artwork to exist"

Reaching over five million views in its first month, the project became a focus of impassioned engagement, interaction and debate, both on and offline, and on several occasions was subject to disruption by far-right extremists. According to a press statement released by FACT, the camera was removed by the Museum of the Moving Image on 10 February without the artists' consent. The project has since continued at several alternative sites: Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the artists relocated the project on 18 February, and, after further disruption, at an ‘unknown location’ where the work was adapted to its present form on 8 March, accessible solely through the online stream. 

As a result of 'escalating threats and criminal activity' the artists have, the statement reads, been forced to site the project outside of the United States, with FACT Liverpool able to offer the support it requires. “Events have shown that America is simply not safe enough for this artwork to exist,” comment LaBeouf, Rönkkö & Turner.

With ties to the Northwest of England, Manchester-born Turner adds: “We are proud to be continuing the project at FACT, an arts centre at the heart of the community.”

The adoption of HEWILLNOTDIVIDE.US by FACT continues a relationship between the gallery and the three artists, who staged their project #TOUCHMYSOUL at the venue in December 2015. Part of the exhibition Follow and commissioned by FACT specifically for it, #TOUCHMYSOUL saw LaBeouf, Rönkkö & Turner sit at desks in the gallery space taking live calls from the public, who were invited to 'touch their soul'. The work aimed to ask how people can truly connect across networks, and 'capture what happens in a lasting, indelible way'. 

LaBeouf had the words of the statement that touched his soul tattooed on his arm at the end of the four-day performance.

FACT will hold a series of live, and streamed, events related to HEWILLNOTDIVIDE.US over the coming weeks to encourage dialogue, discussion and a diversity of insight, in keeping with the aims of the project. 

hewillnotdivide.us

fact.co.uk

Since publishing the story, FACT has announced the following on Twitter: