Cocks do not fight for their household gods, for the monuments of their ancestors, for glory, for liberty or for the safety of their children, but only because one will not give way to the other.
- Themistocles

This installation is part of a larger project that explores correlations between theatre, games and betting culture — specifically, cockfighting. One of the oldest spectator sports, cockfighting is a blood game deeply embedded within various religious belief systems and religious worship. Fighting cocks are specifically bred for their aggressiveness and ability to maintain the attack, despite severe injury, dehydration, exhaustion or broken bones. Two birds meet in combat until one dies or is critically injured, and the surviving bird wins. As a result, gamecocks are bred and modified to play a game that benefits overseeing spectators. This project, at large, employs cockfighting as a metaphor to explore the politics of theatre and the politics of the game. The constellation of distinct objects seen here speaks to notions of gameness, excitement, masculinity and control embedded in our contemporary era. 

The project explores how things in life are staged, the rules that govern this staging. The work references the politics of game and, more specifically, its rituals of spectatorship. Through visual metaphor, it leads us to the fundamental questions of our existence within society: Who are we? What roles do we play? What position do we occupy through our roles?