What is the metaverse? A look at NFTs, virtual real estate and how companies are investing in the digital worldīut the question I was most interested in – whether at a Dolce & Gabbana digital fashion show with anthropomorphic cats for models, or exploring a desolate virtual Wendy’s restaurant – was simply: What are we doing here? I heard about Jesus at a virtual megachurch, meditated among digital trees and attended a group discussion on the purpose of life. I found sleep rooms, softly lit spaces with beds and pillows for quiet contemplation – but also cuddling, as avatars held one another and murmured. I popped by a job fair, where only cryptocurrency and metaverse firms were hiring. I made virtual coffees for people who could not actually ingest said beverages. I went to a dance party at a virtual club, where dozens of people in the form of cartoonish avatars were bumping, grinding and throwing dollar bills in the air. In the metaverse, I saw things that were strange, confounding, depressing and intriguing – and once, even beautiful.
