Top Dog

Ivelina Ivanova & Martin Lukanov (Bulgaria) 

"Top Dog" is an interactive project that engages the user in a simulation of the struggle for survival of a stray dog on the Bulgarian streets. The project aims to contribute to artistic interpretations of Eastern European urban spaces, but also to draw attention to the case of homeless animals. Stray dogs are a fundamental element of the environmental specificities in Bulgaria. The public position towards their presence among humans is mixed. "Top Dog" aims to awaken empathy and awareness towards the experiences of our four-legged friends and thus highlight the value behind their existence. 

While the narrative of the game is the life of a dog, the storyline is also the backbone of an artistic interpretation of post-socialist urban life. Through aesthetics and interactivity, the project gives value to domesticity and routine in the context of Bulgarian urban reality. In his quest for survival, the dog is forced to wriggle between cars and trip over garbage. By distorting the chaos of Bulgarian streets, the project focuses on the problem of our eclectic urban planning.

In their choice of the video game as an artistic medium, Ivelina and Martin consider the problematics of gaming platforms as an artistic medium. The mainstream gaming industry has stereotyped computer games as mediocre consumer entertainment.  "Top Dog aims to reveal their potential as a versatile and multilayered creative medium.

Sound environment: Yoana Robova, Petar Parmakov, Mario Balabanov