Are the apples that we buy in the supermarket as perfect as they look?
How can art-horror trouble the assumptions of beauty, "nature," "natural,"
and “perfection” that we cling to?
“Techno Apple Superstar” is a narrative-driven video game that explores the apple industry in my hometown Trentino-Alto Adige (Italy)–a region celebrated as the apple paradise but characterised by the dominance of apple monoculture.
As a player, you venture on a dystopian journey inside a digestive system, where rich descriptions, music videos, interviews and horror imageries bring to life the commodity chain of a seemingly mundane product. This immersive exploration aims to uncover the absurdities and horrors concealed within the relentless pursuit of the perfect crop, driven by Western agribusiness systems.
Through kaleidoscopic storytelling the game underscores the profound impact of global imagery on consumer desires. It reveals that the global apple trade isn’t just about material production and distribution but is intricately linked to the flow of images and ideals shaped by, and shaping, consumer desires.