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     This year’s Art Basel invited its eclectic participants to mesmerizing art galleries, over-the-top fiestas and late night shenanigans while traditionally summoning the iconic social sensation that leaves festival goers with an afterglow and Miami residents with PTSD. Amidst the idolized glamor, the real opportunity resides in the networking which is happening perpetually - you are constantly meeting new like-minded and inspiring individuals. Art Basel has cemented its roots into fine-art culture and naturally that means rising and coveted creators come together to create a massive international hub of creative geniuses. After spanning dozens of events during the week-long celebration, ‘From The Beach To The Moon’ earned its place amongst the top networking and social parties.

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     ‘From The Beach To The Moon’, curated by Playground and Dotconnector brought together the communities of Bowery Showroom, Glass Protocol, Unrevealed and New Friendship Tech with spins by DJ UZO, Nas Leber, Goldie Harris & Eric Spivak. Live paintings were introduced by Alex Alpert & Maudy Alferink while digital LED displays presented work by Cory Van Lew, Charli Cohen, Burst Cryptoart x Coral Garvey & Gazoo To The Moon. If you weren’t distracted by the fire wielding performers, you’d very quickly notice the atmosphere was full of quality RSVPs from all industries - ranging from the world of technology to the realm of art and beyond. FTBTTM gathered together rising and established digital artists and entrepreneurs for an invitational function that cultivated new friendships, business relationships, experiences and ideas.

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     A cool, clear Miami night overlooked the guests conversing by the open bar and enjoying complimentary eats. Live painting invited attendees to observe the intimate behind-the-scenes process of creating traditional art. Bowery Showroom, a New York-based concept store and cultural hub focused on independent designers, local artists and vintage clothing presented their design-impressive Art Basel collection and activation booth during the South Beach-Side Surfcomber Hotel extravaganza. An immersive installation that pushed the boundaries of art and the Metaverse built by Luis Fern was presented by Lighthouse which also housed the fashion collective. Dotconnector is no stranger to high quality productions and this exemplary display of visual aesthetic and immersion exudes what Art Basel is meant to be.

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Tunes from talented musical performers Goldie Harris, Eric Spivak, DJ UZO & Nas Leber carried the night away as Art Basel’s mystifying aura wrapped itself around the high-class networking event and social gathering. Established artist Jo Jerusalem created paintings live by the pool while a hula-hooping superstar drove the crowd to cheer, adding to the premier Basel experience. On this journey to the moon, many connections were made and many friendships were forged - only further propelling community members closer to their professional and personal goals. The value derived from these functions greatly moves the scale when it comes to career progression because the people you meet can introduce you to new opportunities.

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The Web 3 community's participants prevail in their careers by forging strong relationships through shared experiences. As much as the social internet allows for new friendships and networking, there is no substitute for an IRL function, especially a DotConnector and Playground party. These events quickly become intersections for quality people in quality places to exchange information, feedback and introduce you to new circumstances. Social networking has evolved in the last decade, especially in the tech world as Web 3 invites a younger party-prone crowd to co-exist with traditional tech industry moguls - hence the emergence of Playground as a web 3 social platform, centered around community, play and experience. Art subcultures and communities are synonymous with gatekeeping but a turn of events in tech over the last half decade have opened up the industry to newcomers that have always pondered what being in a society that welcomes art with open arms is like. In Web 3 - the atmosphere is inviting, or this at the very least the standard we need to set where it does not currently exist to allow for real inclusivity.

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     DotConnector is an inclusive NYC collective bringing together the finest in art, nightlife and Web 3. They are bridging underground culture with mainstream entertainment through innovative and interactive IRL gatherings, galleries and functions. Communities worth paying attention to are those making cultural impact and DC aims to shift what the definition of creating culturally diverse experiences means. Social parties have been taking to a new standard of providing more value than surface glamor. With people growing more interested in sharing information now more than ever, it is crucial that proper solutions to these needs exist and that they are accessible to those looking. To learn more about Dotconnector, join their Telegram group and get emerged in the community.  Keep an eye out for more Dot Connector functions near you to experience the inclusivity of accessible exclusiveness.

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"What is in store for DotConnector going into 2023 now that you’ve thrown a memorable and successful week of events at Basel?"

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"In short, DotConnector had a very successful 2022. In our first year of existence we threw the first ever event at EmpireDAO which featured a conversation with Olive Allen - FOUR events over NFTNYC including the Baddie’s Summit, curating a floor at Cipriani’s MUSICA and an after hours soirée with Andre Oshea. In July we threw the unofficial (but quickly became the official) after party of Christie’s Art + Tech Summit at MoMa’s new restaurant 53 and The Ned Nomad - that was also with artist Andre Oshea.

And to wrap it all up we just did FIVE events in Miami for Art Basel/ Art Week which featured art by artists like Cory Van Lew, Charli Cohen & Gazoo to the Moon - communities like Bowery Showroom, Bad Bitch Empire, Glass.xyz and NFT Girl Gang and a secret late night mansion party with a surprise performance by Bobby Shmurda.

Through all this we had three successful NFT drops. Two being digital art and one being a cannabis lifestyle membership. 2023 for DotConnector looks like much of the same. More drops (we’re working on our first streetwear drop) , more events (eyeing SXSW, NFTLA and NFTNYC) and creating a community and culture that harnesses the power of creators/ creatives, when there are so many bad actors in the space that still don’t understand that these are the individuals that make the web3 economy go." - Jason Ludman, Founder Of DotConnector

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Playground is a Web 3 social platform designed to activate and manage communities. Their discovery hub aims to connect  communities to conversations, experiences, and each other.  The discovery hub connects people to NFT gated and non-gated communities, chats, and events with their creator tools helping organizers build, monetize and collaborate with their community and beyond. Playground’s world-class team is partnered with Web 3 power players, Animoca Brands, Polygon, and Anomaly, which was just named US Adage Agency of the Year 2022. Ultimately, Playground’s decentralized social platform will be powered by play points and $GROUND coin, designed to reward meaningful connections, shared experiences and a way for communities to grow and monetize their networks.

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Founder Jia Ling Yang says, “Ultimately, we aim to enable communities to curate relationships and co-create experiences - It’s about spending time well and feeling more alive. Creating more connections and communities achieves just that. We see ourselves as the next meaningful social platform built around group features that encourage play— community profiles, events, drops and group chats. We intentionally stripped out passive entertainment. What’s left is a platform that empowers creators to build community and inspires people to participate.” 

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     This year's Art Basel was a refreshing reminder that incredible, powerful resources are emerging and that the communities that will matter the most within the next century are being built right now. Beyond the impeccable art galleries and wild festivities, Art Basel relayed the important message that we are in the middle of a very progressive era where humans are focused on building things more than ever. From next-generation digital projects to business incubators and DAOs, the world is continuously paving its way to a new, decentralized future. To stay current with the latest in Web 3, subscribe to Edge Of NFT and join to the digital revolution.

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‍About The Author:

‍Joshua Sauceda is a highly-active NJ/NYC based creative director with a focus on progressive photojournalism, documentary, art curation, cinematography, writing and filmmaking. Joshua's recent endeavors include community building, public relations and investing within the web3 space. By telling culturally important stories through media capture and a plethora of creative solutions, Joshua has a goal of empowering motivated creators and entrepreneurs.

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Website: https://www.joshsauceda.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/joshdsauceda

IG: https://www.instagram.com/joshsauceda/

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