The Shia LaBeouf is present — in an elevator in the Oxford Union for 24 hours over this weekend. The performance was part of #ELEVATE, a project the actor set up with his collaborators Nastja Säde Rönkkö and Luke Turner. Over the course of the piece, Shia discussed everything from Even Stevens to academia with his fellow elevator occupants. At one point, a fan asked if the actor could punch him in the face, as part of the his art project. “Can you help me with the completion of my next piece by punching me in the face?†he asks. “Aww, man. You want me to punch you in the face?†LaBeouf responds. Eventually, they agree on a compromise, as the actor and aspiring artist agrees to slap the other aspiring artist in the face. You can listen to the exchange above, which concludes with the sound of a slap, and not a punch, as advertised.
For a longer, more zen experience, watch all of Shia’s elevator travails below.