Unreal Self-Expression: Nike Air Max Dn Evolution

RED-EYE is thrilled to celebrate the launch of Nike's latest innovation, the Air Max Dn, a shoe that marks a significant leap in the world of footwear technology and design. To bring this new model to life with a unique flair, we invited three talented artists to infuse their vision and a dash of AI magic, creating a narrative that intertwines innovation with artistic expression for the Air Max Dn.

For the Nike Air Max Dn launch, we're setting the stage for an avant-garde collaboration with AI artists at the forefront of the new lifestyle wave—cool, edgy, and unfathomably visionary. Their challenge? To fuse Nike's innovative spirit with the pulsating beat of contemporary culture. Embarking on this journey, our artists share a mandate to disrupt and "Feel the Unreal", as they propel the dynamic rhythm of Nike's modern living. This is not just about sneakers; it's about crafting the very fabric of a new "Unreal" lifestyle, that AI alone can envision along with Nike's enduring quest to redefine what it means to walk on air.

Introducing Dynamic Air for the first time in the Air Max Dn, this innovative design features a novel dual-chamber, four-tube Nike Air unit, meticulously crafted to deliver unmatched comfort, fluid motion, and optimal bounce with every step. The journey of the Air Max Dn is a collaborative endeavor between Nike's designers and scientists from the Nike Air Manufacturing Innovation and the Nike Sport Research Lab, aiming to engineer a more efficient and comfortable Air system. But it isn't just about the mechanics; the shoe's silhouette is revolutionary, offering Air Max enthusiasts a design they had never encountered before.

Employing advanced technologies such as data analytics and digital wear simulations, the Nike innovation teams have pushed the boundaries of Air Max science. This allowed for rapid prototyping and testing, accelerating the feedback loop from athletes and ensuring that the Air Max Dn meets the rigorous demands of performance and style.

Now, let's take a closer look at the creative minds behind the unique artistic interpretations of the Air Max Dn. In exclusive interviews, these artists share their insights into how they blended AI innovation with their artistic vision to imagine the style and innovation of Nike's newest addition. Their perspectives shed light on the intersection of art, technology, and fashion, offering a fascinating glimpse into the future of footwear.

Nike Air Max Dn imagined by @aetherelf and a dash of AI magic

Meet Aether Elf

We are delighted to get to know you better. Where are you from and where are you based?

I am a multidisciplinary artist and musician from the elf lands, also known as Scotland.

Reflecting on your artistic journey, can you share when you first began co-creating with AI, and how this experience has shaped your approach to self-expression?

I first stumbled upon AI art around two years ago. I came across a strange video by Wizardhead and loved the surreal aspect of it, which led me down the magical path. I first started with moss. I found that the AI could only create very basic imagery at the time, but I was still captivated. Luckily, I found it at the right time, just before the first decent stable diffusion model came along. It blew me away. I started making moss girls and elves, and I was instantly hooked. I went on a mission to understand how the AI interprets language, and I've been addicted to making images every day since, with not even one day's break because I enjoy it so much. It has become my main passion in life, and I feel like I found my purpose. Since then, I have also been animating, making AI music, video editing, product designing, and teaching one-on-one lessons in AI art. It has opened up a whole new creative world for me.

As you explore the intersection of AI creativity and Nike’s innovation, what have been the most significant challenges in creating the artwork to 'Feel the Unreal’ of the Nike Air Max Dn?

I really enjoyed the color scheme! Elves have always been my source of inspiration, guiding my creative journey. To capture the essence of "Feeling the Unreal," I introduced bubbles into the artwork, adding an ethereal touch that complements my love for experimentation and vibrant color schemes. The challenge of infusing an elf with the same vibe as the Nike Air Max Dn was magic. It pushed me to delve deep into my creativity to meld elements of this dynamic shoe into the design, seamlessly blending my fantastical inspirations with the innovative spirit of Nike.

How do you envision your AI-collaborated artworks inspiring the younger generation, who are immersed in a highly dynamic lifestyle, to embrace and contribute to the evolution of such a lifestyle? Do you see your creations not just reflecting but also actively shaping the rhythms of contemporary living?

I love technology as much as I love nature, so for me, it's important to include a little part of nature. The elves are a true representation of nature and magical folklore of the fairies and we people. I connect them with nature even though they look very futuristic at times, but that is purposefully done. They live in tiny homes, after all, maybe some mushroom ones, so this could be a nod to contemporary living in a very alien elfy way. The elves harness energy from the Aether after all.

Nike Air Max Dn imagined by @ifonly.ai and a dash of AI magic

Meet Vincent IfOnly AI

We are happy to get to know you better. Where are you from and where are you based?

I was born in Paris, grew up in Paris, and I live in Paris. This city has given me a taste for culture, architecture, fashion, and of course, love!

Reflecting on your artistic journey, can you share when you first began co-creating with AI, and how this experience has shaped your approach to self-expression?

I started self-training on Midjourney from March to June 2023, which subsequently led to the launch of my artistic career, If Only. Thanks to AI, I was able to visually express my dreams, desires, and inspirations that I have explored throughout my life. Not being a designer by trade, AI helped make the impossible possible: to create, without intermediaries or limits.

As you explore the intersection of AI creativity and Nike’s innovation, what have been the most significant challenges in creating the artwork to 'Feel the Unreal’ of the Nike Air Max Dn?

With AI, I really enjoy manipulating textures, shapes, and the overall mood of a scene. This is how I reflect on my concepts and ideas around my own creations. For the Nike Air Max DN I wanted to emphasize its lightness, as if it were as weightless as air itself, its elegance and a vision that transcends time and space. So, like cotton in the clouds, I wanted to make the shoes shine in a dreamlike setting.

Today, we are in a world that needs to dream, needs to hope, and needs to change the codes. AI not only allows us to imagine what tomorrow will be like but also to visualize it. Moreover, my creations lean towards an optimistic and dreamy inspiration. Isn't that what we need in a sometimes sad society?

Nike Air Max Dn imagined by @markvonrama and a dash of AI magic

Meet Marco Rambaldi

We are happy to get to know you better. Where are you from and where are you currently based?

I was born in Bologna, lived many years in Rimini but now I reside in Carpi (Modena)... I'm touring Emilia Romagna.

Reflecting on your artistic journey, can you share when you first began co-creating with AI, and how this experience has changed the way you express yourself creatively?

I started, intrigued by various articles on MidJourney, around August 2022. It definitely wasn't love at first sight, but I was deeply fascinated by this new "tool"; I soon realized it could help me shape even the wildest and strangest ideas in a short time (or at least much less time than it would have taken with other programs); it certainly removed many limits and opened doors and possibilities, leaving me more time to focus on what I want to create/communicate rather than spending too much time figuring out how to do it.

As you explore the intersection of AI creativity and Nike’s innovation, what have been the most significant challenges in creating the artwork to 'Feel the Unreal’ of the Nike Air Max Dn?

I always start by decontextualizing the subject, trying to find a reversal of meaning and use; basically, one could say that the unreal is just an unknown reality and through AI it is possible to shift the gaze a bit further, managing to see new, unexplored territories and discover new states of reality, leveraging AI to extend into an unreal landscape. Dynamic Air symbolizes this fluid voyage for me, highlighting a smooth sensation and the experience of walking on air, inviting us to uncover the weightless and transformative essence of the unreal. In this case, after a first "classic" approach in which I transformed the shoe, I found myself asking also a different question: our brain decodes this object as a shoe and attributes a clear meaning to it because we humans have used them for millennia... but on another hypothetical planet with alien species, what could this object become? And so, by simply placing it in the midst of an alien landscape, the silhouette of the Nike shoe can become an alien object with a thousand still unknown uses without being transformed. It seems like a complicated reasoning, and maybe it is, but the heart of the matter always remains the attribution we humans give to something, even unconsciously, without thinking too much about it because our society has imposed it so when in reality it could be anything. (In any case... My cat has always used shoes to sleep in... it drew beds and sofas in the shape of shoes long before AI :) )

How do you imagine that your artworks created in collaboration with AI can inspire the younger generation, immersed in a highly dynamic and digital lifestyle? Do you see your creations not just as a reflection but also as an active form in shaping the rhythms of contemporary life?

I believe the main stimulus I would like to convey is to always look at the world from different perspectives and to be curious: there is not just one way to see things.

Interviews by @gloriamariagallery

AI Artworks Courtesy of @ifonly.ai @aetherelf & @markvonrama

AI Co-Created Backgrounds by RED-EYE Team

RED•EYE WORLD

Feel the Unreal with Nike Air Max Dn