When the World's on Fire

Cambridge, MA, May 12 - June 12, 2017

Collaboration with Lee Walton

Curator: Dina Dietch | A project for the Cambridge Arts Council, Common Exchange exhibition

Cambridge Common, the site where George Washington first gathered troops in the Revolutionary War, has more recently been a popular park for counter-war demonstrations and historic military reenactments.

Every day for thirty days, from noon to 2pm, two American Revolutionary War drum and fife players wandered the historic Cambridge Common and surrounding city streets playing contemporary protest songs. The title of the work refers to the apocalyptic 30’s gospel song When the World's on Fire which Woody Guthrie later turned into the socialist anthem This Land is Your Land in explicit response to Irving Berlin's God Bless America.

Songs in order of appearance on video:
What’s Going On - Marvin Gaye
I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
Get Up, Stand Up - Bob Marley and the Wailers’ 
They Don't Care About Us - Michael Jackson
Remaining set list:
War - Edwin Starr
Fight the Power, Public Enemy
American Idiot, Green Day
Killing in the Name, Rage Against the Machine

Fife - Eva Redamonti
Drums - James Knoerl
Artists - Jon Rubin and Lee Walton
Video - OLP Creative

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(Cambridge Common research images below)