The warehouse was dark and slightly foggy. But the bar was open and a photographer took a photo anyway.
On Friday, the crowd followed the White Rabbit to Brooklyn for the Net Gala, a tech-chic answer to the Met Gala. The theme of the event was Internet surveillance, prompting attendees to dress in black, some dazzling in Schiaparelli. Think “Matrix meets Mugler”, a commentary on growing up in the internet age, a celebration of culture through art, fashion, music and, of course, technology.
Guests took photos on black steps before heading upstairs, where the show’s theme truly emerged: a camcorder hooked up to a vintage television broadcast the event in real time. A confessional featuring a portable digital voice recorder allowed attendees to reveal secrets while a generative artwork reflected the movements of passing guests. Rico Nasty blasted through the speakers outside while artist Heno, releasing new music, played the VR headsets that took you into the metaverse.
The Net Gala was organized by the social collective Boys Club, a new media company best known for its podcast, newsletter, events and magazine. He describes himself as “chronically online and technologically curious.” Deana Burke and Natasha Hoskin co-founded the Boys Club in 2021 to bring women together to discuss emerging technologies and their effects.
The Boys Club’s first event was held in a Chinatown loft, attended by 60 people. More than 500 people attended the Net Gala, flooding the dance floor and carrying stickers passed around that read: “I’m tired of being hyper-monitored.” » For this event, Boys Club partnered with blockchain Lusko, a long-time collaborator that creates tools to help artists manage their creative projects.
The technology was a throwback to the 90s and early 2000s: vintage TVs, camcorders – while also paying homage to the future, with digital collectibles and virtual reality. Image credits: Noah Griffel
Speaking to TechCrunch, the Boys Club said they decided to host a surveillance-themed gala to create commentary on this pressing topic in today’s society, while also raising money for the Lower Eastside Girls Club. The Boys Club ultimately helped raise $5,000 for the club, which aims to help young women learn about topics like STEM and civic engagement.
Although Boys Club took the opportunity to have fun with the issue of surveillance, the issue is indeed serious. From government surveillance to cybersecurity and hacking, the increasing digitalization of society has created problems that innovators are still racing to solve. Last week, TechCrunch reported on security bugs in phone tracking apps, the massive United Healthcare attack and the use of wartime hacking.
Boys Club said that “the overall aesthetic around surveillance is interesting, and it seemed ripe for some fun in bringing that theme to life.” He also stressed the importance of awareness.
“As we design a new Internet, the collection, commodification and weaponization of personal data is something we hope to leave behind in Web2,” the Boys Club said. Its co-founder Burke has redoubled his efforts on this point.
Artist Bayli co-hosted the first-ever Net Gala, which brought together stylish names from tech, fashion and music. Image credits: Noah Griffel
“As we live more and more online, we think it’s important to be much more aware of how technology interacts with your daily life and the compromises you often make when it comes to privacy for the sake of privacy. convenience,” Burke told TechCrunch. “Awareness is the priority.”
The Boys Club selected artists who could help bring the creative internet to life, which included teaming up with Heno for an interactive digital art installation, having a vending machine that dispensed digital collectibles and finding co-chairs who supported the mission. . Bayli, an artist, co-chaired the event and praised The Net Gala for “championing women-led tech and crypto companies.”
“Where else can you fund such a cool mask of art, fashion and technology, all wrapped up in one fabulous event,” Bayli told TechCrunch. “Seriously, so many beautiful brains in one place.”
The participants were also delighted with the party. Creative director Jeheli Odidi loved how the party brought together different sides of New York. Odidi pointed out that there were “tech girls”, alongside “art boys and music people”, and that everyone seemed easy and approachable. Musician TS Rose told TechCrunch that it’s vital to hold events like this to “bring all kinds of people together to get our creative wheels turning.”
“Coders, musicians, designers, let’s see how we can integrate everyone’s talents and all these new technologies into our projects. These pieces spark magic in the making,” Rose said.
The Boys Club said the Net Gala would become an annual event and return next year. It gives the first Friday in May a chic new meaning.
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