Collaborating with Lalonde and using tools like the Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition, imagined with Intel, added another dimension, as fashion and object-making collided with Man’s background in code and performance. “Bella rocks. She’s fearless. She pushed me to experiment with ideas that were initially outside of my comfort zone,” Man said. Their shared interest in femininity, language, and networked culture created a natural synergy, but their different approaches kept the project dynamic. Lalonde’s instinct to move quickly and try things on balanced Man’s more cautious, concept-driven methods, leading to a final product that felt both experimental and refined.
Throughout the project, Man remained deeply aware of the stakes of working with AI in art. “I think it’s important to ask if you’re using AI as a shortcut or as a true medium,” she explained. For her, the latter is essential: misusing or interrogating tools like AI becomes a way to reveal their limitations and consequences. Rather than resisting the technology, she believes artists must confront it head-on, exposing its mechanics and cultural implications.
