Inside Goth Girlfriends' London takeover
From “crypto bros” to “goth girlfriends,” despite the vastly growing world of Web3, there remains an absence of diverse, marginalized groups represented in these spaces. Opportunities for artistic innovation are now being led by predominantly male, white, cisgendered voices, leaving little inspiration for women, people of color or those who identify with the LGBTQ+ community to be involved in the communities of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) or cryptocurrency.
A collective hot on the heels of this, armed with their black lipstick and spiked collars, is Goth Girlfriends. Co-founder NoFace has partnered with artistic duo HE Creative to create goth-themed NFTs that are overwhelmingly women-led.
Read more: HE Creative and 0xNoFace are making an inclusive NFT space with goth gfs
Their latest exhibition in London, England tells a story of how a small, long-held vision of creators tired or not seeing themselves in the NFT art world has created a community beyond anything they could have anticipated.
“It’s surprising the avenues it can go to,” says the artistic wizards behind the art surrounding us in this decadent gallery, the HE Creative team. They’re no strangers to the alternative community, both coming up in the punk and hardcore scenes in their youth. “It’s grown very organically,” they explain. “We often don’t stay involved with a project once the art is done, but with this, you’re held in high regard as the artist.” Alongside their Goth Girlfriends work, in this gallery we see tour admats and other work they’ve created for artists such as Phoebe Bridgers and Salem, including our very own Avenged Sevenfold Deathbats NFT magazine covers.
Hunkered down in the basement of this intimate gallery to find some quiet in all the enthralling chaos, the DJ’s bass boosting through the ceiling while the sweet sting of a tattoo gun echos in the distance, one thing is evident: Goth Girlfriends’ NFTs are really only scratching the surface of what this project is, and the possibilities for alternative music in these spaces, especially when it comes to the diversification of these spaces through the lens of alternative culture.
Read more: SOL Flowers pays homage to classic AltPress covers with exclusive tokens
“Our main focus is to bring people together online and offline,” says Goth GF’s founder and genius hivemind behind all of this, NoFace. “The online stuff is so important,” they explain. “But it’s also just as important for the real life. Events like this show that we’re real; we’re a legitimate project. The fact that so many women are here is incredible. That is the biggest lack of diversity, especially in crypto and NFTs.”
NoFace’s point is one that is painfully accurate but thankfully changing, thanks to communities like Goth Girlfriends. Alongside the spectacular art showcasing women from all backgrounds, all styles, and all walks of life, the Goth Girlfriends team have created spaces both online and in real life — at concerts, galleries and festivals — to elevate marginalized groups in the NFT and music space.
With bigger musicians venturing into the Web3 universe every day, from BABYMETAL to Slipknot, Goth Girlfriends is leading by example of how artists can offer more than just the NFT and create unique experiences, online and in the real world. Their gallery is just the beginning, “we’ve been doing events recently with Creeper and Nova Twins. It’s so good to be back at events,” NoFace explains. Through the Goth Girlfriends community, you can access exclusive tickets, guest list spots and access to your favorite artists unlike before, as well as having your own NFT. They are strengthening an already growing bond between the Web3 world and alternative culture.
