Public Property | Desert Hothouse

PUBLIC PROPERTY | Madeleine Krenek

Inspired by the grim spectacle of depression era dance competitions of the 1920s and 30s, Public Property reflects on the darker side of human entertainment, showcasing suffering and endurance for public spectacle.

In a contemporary context, it critiques the ongoing commodification of risk and vulnerability through the digital exposure of people's lives, increasingly available for human consumption and public commentary. With a particular focus on the often invisible and undervalued labour of women, the work also draws parallels between historical and modern forms of exploitation.

Through layered physicality, absurdity, spectacle and real time choreography, Public Property challenges traditional spectatorship, inviting the audience to question their complicity - implicating you in the spectacle of endurance, emotional vulnerability, and exhaustion on display.