By Michael Scott
Following the festival, Asif Kamal, Artfi’s chief executive officer, is one of the many ApeFest attendees who experienced pain in the eye.
The founder and chief executive officer of art technology firm Artfi, Asif Kamal, revealed that his firm has placed Yuga Labs, Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) maker, on legal notice. This comes after getting facial burns and an eye infection at ApeFest in Hong Kong.
Asif’s decision to take legal action came after reports claiming that the festival’s attendees acquired eye injuries, purportedly because of improper lighting at the venue.
Yuga Labs Assurance to Investigate Case of Injured Attendees
Asif said he does not want the price of the Bored Ape Yacht Club community, Apes, Yuga Labs, or any person who has backed the Web3 ecosystem to hurt. However, inattention is quite offensive.
Following claims of ApeFest attendees reporting extreme eye pain, Yuga revealed to a media outlet that investigations were ongoing and the matter was being ‘taken seriously.’ According to Twitter users’ hypothesis, UV-C bulbs meant for disinfection were used instead of blacklight to light the three-day occasion.
Despite a request for comment, Yuga failed to provide one.
Responding to his last week’s experience, which Asif claimed entailed a short trip to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Hong Kong, where English-talking staff was infuriatingly unusual, Artfi claimed he sent a ‘legal notice’ to Yuga. Kamal said the letter to Yuga was an ‘initial step towards charging them.’
Concerning his hospital trip, Asif said he felt destitute as medical professionals fixed a device on his face that frequently used a cold solution to flash the eyes. He also said he felt blind and susceptible for hours.
Seek Medical Intervention for Eye-Associated Issues
A Monday statement by Yuga showed that of the festival’s 2250 attendees, less than 1% exhibited signs indicating eye-associated issues. Additionally, it requested persons who felt them need to seek medical intervention. ‘
During a video interview with a media outlet on Wednesday, the 33-year-old chief executive officer wore Marc Jacob shades as he spoke from Dubai. According to photographs shared from the day prior, a patch of peeling skin was evident on his forehead. Concerning his ability to see, Asif claimed that despite not being 100%, it was better than the first day. He added that his vision remained hazy, and it felt like ‘small darts’ were in one eye’s corner.
Before traveling to Hong Kong, the venue for this year’s yearly festive hosted by BAYC and Mutant Ape Yacht Club nonfungible token owners, Asif said he possessed a Mutant Ape. He claimed he purchased a Bored Ape worth $60000 in front of Greg ‘Garga’ Solano, BAYC’s cofounder, to ‘back the community.’
ApeFest Organizers Accused of Negligent in Using Injurious Lighting
Asif revealed that two attendees he knew had the same symptoms following the event. From now on, he expects Yuga to implement security precautions in all events.
Asif faulted the event organizer for disregarding human safety by using an incision light, causing burns and eye injuries. He said one cannot disregard human safety, mainly when community people have contributed to revenue generation. He added that despite being called ApeFest, ‘human beings are present.’