From Iconic to Futuristic: AI Artists Reimagines B&B Italia - Part Two

In an unparalleled fusion of technology and artistry, Red Eye collaborates with B&B Italia on an exclusive project that marries the avant-garde of Artificial Intelligence with the quintessence of Italian design excellence. This visionary initiative brings together a select ensemble of six artists, distinguished by their innovative use of AI to breathe new life into the iconic designs of B&B Italia. Through their individual perspectives, these artists embark on a journey to reimagine B&B Italia's products, showcasing their versatility in a range of settings, moods, and even whimsical, otherworldly environments.

Leading the vanguard in this first showcase are Joe Mortell, Ambre, and Hajar Alì, each acclaimed for their distinctive approaches to the intersection of AI and art. Joe Mortell, with his keen eye for detail and a penchant for the ethereal, crafts images that blur the lines between the tangible and the imagined. Ambre, known for her vibrant and emotionally resonant works, injects a sense of wonder and vitality into familiar forms. Hajar Alì, traversing the realms of the abstract and the concrete, offers interpretations that challenge our perceptions of space and form.

This collaboration is not just a testament to the transformative power of AI in the creative industries but also a tribute to B&B Italia's legacy as a pillar of Italian design. As we present the contributions of Joe Mortell, Ambre, and Hajar Alì, we invite our audience to witness the evolution of B&B Italia's iconic designs, reinterpreted through the lens of AI. This endeavor not only celebrates the fusion of tradition and innovation but also propels B&B Italia into new, uncharted territories of design and imagination.

Interview with Joe Mortell

How has working with artificial intelligence transformed your creative process, especially in the context of reinterpreting B&B Italia's iconic designs?
In many projects I'm working on now, my process involves generating images on MidJourney as a way to experiment in the early stages. I use a combination of references I've found, along with quick renderings I create myself, to see if any interesting compositions or ideas emerge that I can further develop. It might take a few hours to find something interesting or new, but having those suggestions really helps to open up a new path to explore. In reinterpreting the Tobi-Ishi table, I used a workflow that involved creating the scene in a 3D program, then using a combination of Stable Diffusion, MidJourney, and the new AI tool in Photoshop.

How have you infused your personal artistic signature into AI-generated works, ensuring each piece remains unique and reflective of your vision?
Blending the interior spaces with the external world is a main theme in the work I create, so I've developed my personal approach on certain aspects of nature and how I usually create them when working in 3D. When creating something with rocks, I usually use soft, rounded, and organic shapes. If I'm making a scene with plants or trees, I'll make the greens more saturated than they are in reality. To direct the AI towards this style, I render some quick 3D images to show it the kind of shapes or color schemes I want to create.

What have been the most significant challenges and successes in integrating AI technology to reinterpret B&B Italia's designs in innovative ways?
Currently, creating images in AI requires a lot of trial and error. Directing through text or images is almost like you're nudging the visuals with small adjustments in the direction you want. New tools are being developed, like a real-time generation program called Krea AI. This approach gives you much more control over composition and makes directing much faster. I think this is the direction we're heading as artists want to have more precise control over what they're creating.

How do you use AI to bring dreamy and fantastical elements into the realm of design? Can you share insights on how AI has enabled you to envision B&B Italia's products in various contexts, atmospheres, and environments beyond traditional settings?
Using AI has allowed me to work faster by creating realism that might take much longer to create in a 3D program. It lets me focus more on composition, the overall concept, and the general artistic direction. It also allows me to insert a surreal idea I have and see how MidJourney will create variations based on that. For the Tobi-Ishi table scene, my concept was to reflect the shape of the table in different scales in the forms of rocks and landscape. MidJourney was able to quickly generate many different variations of this concept, allowing me to work on those that worked best.

With your unique use of AI in design, how do you imagine the future of living spaces and furniture design? What role will AI play in shaping these future trends?
I think the new tools we have with AI are extremely powerful and useful, but still require a bit of caution when we use them extensively. They use a combination of references that already exist, so it can become easy for them to iterate ideas. Creative input from both sides is needed to create something new and unique.

I'll continue to use it to inspire my work and experiment with ideas before further developing them on my own.

What sources of inspiration do you draw from when using AI to reinterpret B&B Italia's iconic designs, and how do these influences manifest in your work?
In creating the scene for the Tobi-Ishi table, I looked at unusual rock formations, natural bridges, and arches found in different parts of the world. I used these to inspire my rock formations for the scene. When I fed those 3D images back into the AI, it created an interesting mix between those real-world references and the ones I created.

Based on your experience, what advice would you give to artists and designers eager to explore the potential of AI in their creative endeavors?
My main advice would be to experiment with different AI tools. It's really useful to try them out to find which ones work for you and genuinely enhance your work. I've spent hours working with some only to realize I was creating a watered-down version rather than an elevated version of my work. Like any other program I use, I've kept those I find useful in my daily routine and use them when a specific need arises.

Interview with Ambre

How has working with artificial intelligence transformed your creative process, especially in the context of reimagining B&B Italia's iconic designs?

One of the most captivating aspects is the absence of limits in creation. With artificial intelligence, I can conceive scenes that oscillate between surrealism and striking reality. This unique blend allows viewers to be transported into alternative worlds while maintaining a sense of tangibility, to the point where some may mistake my creations for authentic photographs. This fusion of boundless imagination and realistic precision defines my artistic vision, guiding my creations toward a realm where innovation and aesthetics harmoniously converge.

In what ways have you infused your personal artistic signature into AI-generated artworks, ensuring each piece remains unique and reflective of your vision?

I infuse my personal artistic signature into AI-generated artworks in many ways. Firstly, I strive to introduce fresh ideas that align with my vision, incorporating aesthetic visuals that resonate with my artistic sensibilities while pushing the boundaries of innovation. Additionally, I often manually tweak my creations using various software tools, adding those nuanced details or extra touches that set each piece apart. Moreover, I utilize tools to enhance the rendering of images, aiming to achieve a heightened sense of realism that I value deeply. I enjoy experimenting with different textures, materials, colors… exploring diverse combinations and blends to create truly unique and reflective artworks.

What have been the most significant challenges and achievements in integrating AI technology to reinterpret B&B Italia's designs in innovative ways?

Using artificial intelligence to reinterpret B&B Italia's designs presented significant challenges. Firstly, accurately replicating the B&B sofa solely with AI proved difficult due to potential alterations during the image generation process. Secondly, seamlessly integrating the AI-generated design into a custom setting I created required meticulous attention to details like shadows, lighting, scale… in relation to the rest of the scene. Despite the complexity of these challenges, overcoming them represents a notable achievement in the realm of creative reinterpretation with artificial intelligence.

How do you leverage AI to bring dream-like and fantastical elements into the realm of design? Can you share insights into how AI has enabled you to envision B&B Italia's products in various contexts, atmospheres, and environments beyond traditional settings?

I don't typically leverage AI to bring dream-like or fantastical elements into my designs. As I mentioned earlier, my style leans more towards photorealism with added details that would be impossible in reality. For example, placing a sofa in the midst of an ice cave. However, despite the surreal setting, the design maintains harmony and aesthetic appeal through careful color choices and coordination, such as using varying shades of blue here. This approach allows me to envision B&B Italia's products in diverse contexts and environments beyond traditional settings while still achieving a realistic yet visually captivating result.

With your unique use of AI in design, how do you envision the future of living spaces and furniture design? What role will AI play in shaping these future trends?

According to my perspective, the future of living spaces and furniture design could be influenced by the creativity and guidance of individuals directing the AI process, while integrating it as a powerful tool. Some may believe that AI solely relies on existing data, acting passively. However, I believe that, on the contrary, with the right directives, it has the potential to innovate and generate new ideas. This flexible outlook acknowledges the various perspectives on AI's role in creation and innovation, emphasizing how both human and artificial intelligence can work together in shaping future design trends.

What sources of inspiration do you draw from when using AI to reinterpret B&B Italia's iconic designs, and how do these influences manifest in your work?

Overall, I draw inspiration from various sources, but nature stands out as my main, given its unparalleled beauty, organic forms, and vibrant colors. This influence is evident in my creations through the use of fluid lines, organic patterns, and nature-inspired color palettes. I strive to capture the balance and harmony found in natural landscapes, subtly integrating them into my reinterpretations of B&B Italia's iconic designs.

Based on your experience, what advice would you give to artists and designers who are eager to explore the potential of AI in their creative endeavors?

I would advise them to simply dive in, experiment, and iterate. It's all about trial and error, seeing what works well and what doesn't. Explore different techniques, push the boundaries, and strive to bring something new to the table. Remember, in the realm of creativity, the possibilities are endless.

Interview with Rosario Rex di Salvo

How has working with artificial intelligence transformed your creative process, especially in the context of reimagining B&B Italia's iconic designs?

In general, artificial intelligence has enriched my creative process by offering new tools, perspectives, and sources of inspiration. It has allowed me to explore uncharted artistic territories and advance my artistic practice in ways I never imagined before. In the case of B&B Italia, it has allowed me to place the product in a magical context, making it the protagonist.

In what ways have you infused your personal artistic signature into AI-generated artworks, ensuring each piece remains unique and reflective of your vision?

Infusing my personal artistic signature into AI-generated works requires a balance between creative guidance, manual intervention, and leveraging the potential of AI itself. This approach allows me to create unique works and photos that are an expression of my artistic vision derived from the analog, while also harnessing the innovative potential of artificial intelligence.

What have been the most significant challenges and achievements in integrating AI technology to reinterpret B&B Italia's designs in innovative ways?

The challenges in integrating AI to reinterpret B&B Italia's design have mainly been related to choosing the right prompt to create a space worthy of the product.

I use AI to bring dreamlike and fantastic elements into the realm of design by utilizing creative generation algorithms and image manipulation. This has allowed me to imagine B&B Italia's products in contexts, atmospheres, and environments beyond traditional settings, creating evocative and engaging visions that I hope stimulate imagination and inspiration.

With your unique use of AI in design, how do you envision the future of living spaces and furniture design? What role will AI play in shaping these future trends?

I imagine that the future of living spaces and furniture design will also be profoundly influenced by AI. AI could be used to create more personalized and sustainable design solutions tailored to the specific needs of individuals and the environment, thus shaping future trends towards a more conscious and innovative approach to design.

What sources of inspiration do you draw from when using AI to reinterpret B&B Italia's iconic designs, and how do these influences manifest in your work?

My sources of inspiration are varied, ranging from contemporary art to nature, architecture to technological innovation. These influences manifest in my work through the use of organic forms, vibrant colors, and futuristic concepts that find expression in my works.

How does your work with AI and B&B Italia reflect on the cultural and societal implications of design today? In what ways do you think design and AI can contribute to a more sustainable future?

My work with AI and B&B Italia reflects on the cultural and social implications of design today by showing how technology can be used to create aesthetic and functional solutions that meet the needs of contemporary society. I believe design and AI can contribute to a more sustainable future by promoting innovation and efficiency in production processes and resource use.

How do you envision your AI-generated designs inspiring communities to think differently about sustainability, furniture, and interior design?

I imagine that my AI-generated designs can inspire communities to think differently about sustainability, furniture, and interior design by showing how technological innovation can be used to create aesthetic and functional solutions that reduce environmental impact and promote a more sustainable lifestyle.

What role do you see for AI in advancing design education, particularly in fostering a new generation of designers who are conscious of their impact on sustainability and climate change?

I see a crucial role for AI in advancing design education, especially in promoting a new generation of designers aware of their impact on sustainability and climate change. AI can be used to teach not only design students but also the best practices in sustainable design and provide them with tools and resources to address future environmental challenges.

Based on your experience, what advice would you give to artists and designers who are eager to explore the potential of AI in their creative endeavors?

Based on my experience, I would advise artists and designers eager to explore the potential of AI in their creative endeavors to be open to learning and experimentation. It is important to understand the fundamentals of AI and become familiar with the tools and techniques available, but also to keep an open and creative mind to discover new possibilities and breakthroughs in the process.

Interview by @gloriamariagallery

Images courtesy of @joemortell, @rosariorex & @ambre_ai

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