Where do bodies gather when the venue is virtual?
An empty Times Square during lockdown posed a design challenge: what makes an intimate gathering of music and art actually work? Close proximity, quiet corners, vantage points, pockets of secrecy, room to move freely—these are what people reach for in a great night out. Antib0dy Club was conceived to test whether those qualities could survive online, in a complex interactive browser experience that is as much about community-building as platform-building.
I conceived the original concept, produced and designed the platform, led UX design, and curated the virtual galleries with artists including Runente, Superficial Studio, Kevin Edzenga, and others.
Overview
Check your b0dy at the door.
Antib0dy Club is a virtual place designed to connect people in a socially distant world. As a venue and public space, it presents curated interactive art and music through a platform built for intimate conversation—an extension of the physical communities found in nightlife and the art world, translated online.
Live program with Rinsed
Rinsed, a collective of experimental ravers, sought to support the art and dance community they had served in NYC for over a decade. Together we curated a monthly online live-events program featuring new artists and performers every month—including musical acts like Jacques Greene and Material Witness, with sponsorship by Red Bull.
We felt committed to helping Rinsed find a way to connect online that was true to the vibe—graced by interactive designers Runente and Superficial, with new artists and performers featured every month.
Building the platform
To host these events we built Antib0dy Club from scratch, collaborating with experienced creative technologists, 2D and 3D designers, video and musical artists, and live event producers. The platform blends open-source video conferencing with a web-based 3D environment.
Welcome experience
Like any good party, there’s an anticipation of finding a hidden door, and excitement for what’s behind it. The welcome experience is a trippy 3D tunnel with a tutorial on how to navigate the virtual world.
NYC nightlife as source material
Times Square emptied during the global pandemic, and then overflowed during BLM protests. Though the provocative adult-entertainment venues may be mostly gone, we drew inspiration from the defunct spaces where New Yorkers explored their fantasies—creating a safe forum for individuals, groups, and businesses while channeling the decades-old spirit of New York nightlife.
The cityscape is dense with detail—screens, alleys, and side paths that reward wandering between events.
Rooms & curated galleries
Immersed in a 3D environment, visitors navigate multiple “rooms” featuring curated artwork, leveraging WebGL for real-time, interactive experiences.
I curated virtual galleries with artists including Runente, Superficial Studio, Kevin Edzenga, and others—each room a distinct interactive environment guests could explore between sets.
Webcam avatars & proximity audio
In Antib0dy, you are just as you are—a webcam-based avatar. With proximity-based audio, guests create groups informally, like IRL. Billboards are replaced with the faces of your friends and performers.
Video billboards throughout the cityscape surface live feeds from guests and performers—turning the environment into a collective portrait of whoever is in the room.
Broadway as hallway
The spirit of a sweaty Rinsed rave co-opted Broadway as a hallway between virtual 3D galleries. A mashup of retro-futuristic ’90s rave culture imagery, NYC club posters, and contemporary conspiracy memes lead guests to the entrances of different art spaces.
Meme billboards and club ephemera line the route between rooms—part wayfinding, part inside joke for the Rinsed community.
Each gallery entrance is its own threshold—a distinct visual world curated with a participating artist or collective.
Virtual substances
What rave is complete without illicit substances? Hidden in the back alleys, these virtual “drugs” are original filters modeled from psychedelic experiences to enhance your experience.
Each filter alters your webcam feed and the world around you—a playful nod to the rituals of nightlife, translated into code.
Activism & sponsors
Clickable billboards direct visitors to support important causes or check out sponsors. During events, visitors could sign up to receive free cans of Red Bull shipped directly to their home.
Sponsor integrations live in the world as billboards and interactive prompts—ads you can walk up to, not banners pasted over the experience.
During live events, guests could register on-site to receive free Red Bull shipped to their home—turning a virtual visit into something tangible.
Supporting artists
To support the artists involved, a simple donation button sends tips to the artists and partner organizations.
Each event is streamed to Twitch, and the audio is recorded. Register for events at antib0dy.club and follow @antib0dy.club.
When & where
October 2020–March 2021 on the World Wide Web, with events hosted from Studio 525 and Jean’s Lafayette. Production through The Umbrella.
Project Credits & Information
- Project type
- Platform
- Partner
- Rinsed
- Agency
- The Umbrella
- Role
- Concept, production, platform design, curation
- Credits
- Runente, Superficial Studio, Kevin Edzenga, Jacques Greene, Material Witness, Rinsed
- Press
- —
- Website
- antib0dy.club
- Date
- October 2020 – March 2021
