As far as cultural institutions go, the New Museum is one of New York’s most forward-thinking. The downtown mainstay is Manhattan’s only museum exclusively dedicated to contemporary art, and it has a long history of spotlighting up-and-coming creatives. NEW INC, the museum’s cultural incubator for artists, designers, and technologists, is perhaps the programme that represents that mission the best, with last weekend marking the incubator’s fourth DEMO weekend.

Over the course of three days, artists, designers, and creative technologists descended upon the museum for a weekend of talks, performances and installations. Everyone from rappers to lawyers to culinary practitioners were included in the programming, representing the varied crowd that’s come to define the annual event. It wasn’t all serious, however – the weekend of talks and demos concluded with a proper festival party, where panels and conversations were traded in for drinks and dancing.

Featuring IFE Radio, the joint musical project of MIKE and Taka, the night was a farewell to another successful DEMO weekend. Here’s what went down.

THE GUEST LIST WAS STACKED

New Yorkers showed up and showed out at Demo2026, which saw appearances from creatives like artist and technologist Mindy Seu and fashion designer The Twink Next Door. Dazed Clubbers were also in the house, with fifteen clubbers given a free ticket thanks to a partnership between Dazed and the New Museum.

THE LOOKS DELIVERED

What’s a party without some good people-watching? Luckily, there was no shortage of that last Friday, where attendees came fitted as ever. Studded belts, floral vests, and lots of mesh were in the mix, giving a sneak peek into what to expect on the streets this summer.

THE MUSIC WAS THE HIGHLIGHT

Only in New York could you attend a conversation on the intersection of art and biology and a DJ set by MIKE on the same night. Thanks to IFE Radio, the music was the standout element of the night.