The concept of the compulsion loop explains how many video games are designed to generate repetitive consumption habits through emotional rewards and the release of dopamine. In this context, Candy Crush, with billions of downloads, has become a global phenomenon that shapes everyday and bodily behaviours, creating collective routines based on the repetition of gestures and the constant pursuit of small digital rewards. The exhibition "Boom Crash Candy Crush" analyses how this apparent innocence conceals deeper dynamics linked to digital capitalism and the military-industrial complex. Based on the massive collection of user data, it raises a critical reflection on the relationship between technology, control, power and human experience, questioning what it means to be human in a society marked by digital dependence and the discipline of dopamine.
Artists: Hito Steyerl, Shona Illingworth, May Murad, Jessica Ekomane, Heba Y. Amin, Noura Tafeche, !Mediengruppe Bitnik, Mar Medina + Roc Jiménez de Cisneros + Joana Moll, Mario Santamaría, Aram Bartholl, Faith Holland, aaajiao, Conrad Weise + Kjell Wistoffm, ¥€$Si Perse, César Escudero + Martin Nadal, Sarah Ciston, Asia Bazdyrieva, Ben Grosser i laSADCUM
For more information about the exhibition "Boom Crash Candy Crush", visit the Santa Mònica website.