Q&A: Internet Real Life

Internet Real Life is a new event series curated by two voices we always pay attention to: social critic and cultural observer Katherine Dee and stoic and cultural philosopher Peter Limberg.

Dee and Limberg have curated four guest speakers (August Lamm, Molly Soda, Sean Monahan, and Günseli Yalcinkaya) to participate in a series of discussions exploring the boundaries and tensions between the internet and physical world.

The talks are available as a complete series to attend virtually or watch after the fact (Collect to participate here | $40).

We reached out to Katherine and Peter to learn more about the release.

METALABEL: Why do you feel it's important to create spaces like this?

KATHERINE AND PETER: Hosting experimental courses and experiences that mostly exist outside the hustle of the attention economy affords a more soulful way of relating to one another and allows us to “find the others.” We can treat the entire experience as art.

If one tries to operate mainly in a social media context, they adopt its unsocial logic, leading to creative burnout, status anxiety, addiction to validation from strangers, weird parasocial dynamics, and a perpetual sense of low status. Not good!

Instead, what has come to be known as “dark forest” experiences allow participants to meet, exchange ideas, and let emergent wisdom unfold. It builds bridges from online to IRL, weaving the two worlds in artful ways.

METALABEL: What is your thinking with structuring the release on Metalabel this way and the economics of including the participants?

KATHERINE AND PETER: I’ve hosted many experimental experiences before but never really found a business model that aligned well with integrity. With Metalabel’s creative communal emphasis, it feels like something has been unlocked. The split payment option is especially a game-changer, as greater collaborative care can emerge during the promoting and performing phases.

METALABEL: If I want to make the most of visiting a dark forest space, do you have suggestions for how I show up?

KATHERINE AND PETER: First, trust the vibe. If something calls you to the space, go for it. Start by peeking your head in, and bounce if you sense the vibes were misleading.

The experiences I host usually happen on Zoom, so it might feel intimate—meeting new people. However, dark forest spaces are so niche that if someone else vibes with an esoteric topic the way you do, you’ll most likely have other things in common.

For an experience like the upcoming Internet Real Life, which will consist of presentations and Q&A, non-recorded collective inquiries, and small group conversations, we recommend coming in with the intent to participate — but only if you feel called to. Being an engaged observer is also welcome.

Ultimately, if you speak truthfully, listen deeply, and honor what resonates, you’ll take something valuable away from the experience.

Collect an edition of Internet Real Life.