Equipped with a bevy of volunteers as well as materials found from a trash bin at a construction site, LA-based artist Liz Glynn, pictured at left, relived the rise and fall of Rome in a 24-hour-long participatory performance at the New Museum this past Monday & Tuesday. Description and photos after the jump.

Glynn and the volunteers used cardboard and reclaimed building material to literally rebuild Rome at key moments in its history. They started with Romulus and Remus’ thatched hut in 753 BC, and worked their way forward in time to a historically accurate reconstruction of the bustling empire in its zenith, all the while facing typical Roman problems like fires and invasions.

Romulus' hut

Ancient Roman ship

Hard at work

Ancient Rome completed, in cardboard form

And finally, after stepping back to admire their work once Rome had been completed, Glynn and the volunteers relived the city’s destruction by stomping the whole thing back into pieces.

Stomping Rome mercilessly to the floor

I only included this picture because I loved how determined she looks.

Rome, in pieces. FIN.

You can find the rest of the photos on New Museum’s Facebook page here.