Simona Barbera, LYNX artist-run space, Vigeland Park, Oslo. 7th of August 2015
original long version Ramona Africa’s voice / If I just laid down
IF I JUST LAID DOWN (Da Ramona Africa a John Africa) 11:20
Spoken words by Ramona Africa, August 2015
Ramona Africa was part of an early collective community in Philadelphia named by John Africa in the early 70’. For several years, the community shared communal life. In 1985, after several violent confrontations with the police, 11 members of the Africa family died during the 6221 Osage bombing, dropped from a helicopter by armed police. The entire residential block got burned. Ramona was the lone remaining survivor together with Birdie Africa. In the audio recording, Ramona talks about John Africa and a personal historical fragment inside the Africa family, hinting to environmentalism, the radicalization of protest, and the search for a new political imaginary. The audio piece is a fragment of the sound installation If I Just Laid Down.