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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe Net Gala’s first event brought more than 500 people to Brooklyn for a night of fashion, art, music and technology—and turned internet surveillance into its theme. Organized by the culture collective Boys Club, the gathering used playful installations and a black dress code to ask how technology watches and shapes everyday life.
What was the first Net Gala?
The Net Gala was a one-night event presented as a tech-inflected answer to the Met Gala, with a focus on internet culture. TechCrunch’s May 6, 2024 report describes the first gathering as a celebration of culture through art, fashion, music and technology. Boys Club organized it; co-founders Deana Burke and Natasha Hoskins established the collective in 2021. The group described its audience as “chronically online and tech curious.”
The event took place in Brooklyn on the Friday before TechCrunch published its report. Attendees wore black, and some wore Schiaparelli, making the internet-surveillance theme visible in the room as well as in the installations.
How did the event make surveillance tangible?
Rather than treating surveillance as an abstract topic, the event folded recording, observation and digital interaction into the evening’s atmosphere. TechCrunch reported a mix of analog objects and newer media:
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- A camcorder connected to a vintage television replayed footage of the gathering.
- A confessional booth used a handheld digital voice recorder.
- Interactive generative artwork mirrored guests’ movements.
- Rico Nasty’s music played outside the event space.
- Guests could listen to Heno’s new music through VR headsets.
- A vending machine distributed digital collectibles.
Together, these elements made the theme part of the experience: guests encountered recording devices, responsive art and digital formats while moving through a physical event.
Who organized it, and what did the organizers say?
Boys Club partnered with LUKSO, described by TechCrunch as a blockchain company and longtime collaborator that builds tools to help artists manage creative projects. The report identifies LUKSO as an event partner; it does not establish an ongoing sponsorship or an open partnership program.
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Burke framed the gathering as an opportunity to prompt awareness of privacy tradeoffs: “As we live more and more of our lives online, we think it’s important to be much more acutely aware of how technology interacts with your day-to-day and what privacy tradeoffs you’re often making for the sake of convenience,” she told TechCrunch. She also put the goal more briefly: “Awareness is the priority.”
Artist and event co-chair Bayli described the evening as “a cool mask-up of art, fashion and tech, all wrapped up in one fabulous event,” while musician T.S. Rose emphasized the creative mix: “Coders, musicians, designers, seeing how we can incorporate each other’s talents and all these new techs to our projects. These rooms spark magic in the making.” Both spoke to TechCrunch.
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TechCrunch reported that more than 500 people attended and that Boys Club helped raise $5,000 for the Lower Eastside Girls Club. The organization aims to help young women learn about STEM and civic engagement. These figures are as reported by TechCrunch; the report does not describe them as independently audited totals.
Was the Net Gala meant to return?
Yes—Boys Club said in 2024 that it intended to make the Net Gala an annual event and bring it back the following year. That statement records the organizers’ plan at the time, not confirmation that a later edition took place.
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Source
Event details and quotations in this retrospective come from Dominic-Madori Davis’s TechCrunch report, published May 6, 2024.
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