Maya Man and Isabella Lalonde’s ‘The twentynine Experience’ Proved Glitches Hit Harder Than Perfection

New York City’s vibrant arts scene came alive on September 6th with “The twentynine Experience,” a unique event at Fridman Gallery. It combined a nostalgic feel with cutting-edge technology. The event celebrated the launch of the *twentynine* zine, created by digital artist Maya Man and designer Isabella Lalonde. They reimagined the popular fashion magazines of the early 2000s, giving them a futuristic twist. Instead of simply flipping through pages, attendees experienced an immersive installation where zine culture, technology, and live performance blended together into a dreamlike show. It felt like stepping inside the colorful, chaotic world of magazines like *Seventeen* or *Teen Vogue*, but seen through a digital lens, with quirky sculptures and a playful challenge to traditional beauty standards.

During the day, Fridman transformed into a bustling creative hub. Artists, fashion professionals, photographers, students, and locals filled the space, taking pictures, sharing ideas, and experimenting with the Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition, powered by Intel. This device allowed visitors to instantly remix images of Man and Lalonde, with new creations displayed on a large screen. A display of unique, plush sculptures-made from leftover fabric and designed with the help of AI and the artist’s past work-created a dreamlike atmosphere.

Man and Lalonde themselves circulated through the crowd, offering tips and enjoying the unexpected results-like seeing themselves in outer space or inside dollhouses. The daytime atmosphere was collaborative, and many guests went home with signed copies of twentynine. It felt like an art exhibition, a party, and a live experiment all at once-a demonstration that technology can embrace and even enhance the raw, unpredictable nature of culture.

A discussion with Hypeart editor Erin Ikeuchi revealed the artists’ creative approach: they intentionally embrace flaws, use humor and exaggeration to challenge unrealistic beauty standards, and view AI as a partner, not a substitute for human creativity. Ikeuchi pointed out that “many of humanity’s greatest inventions came from mistakes,” and she’s excited to see how AI develops through its own unexpected-and potentially beautiful-errors.

Two key ideas emerged from the event. Maya Man sees AI as a way to challenge existing norms, using it to train on images of her own face and deliberately create distortions to highlight bias and the pressures surrounding self-image. She explained that “generative AI models reflect the world as it already is, but in a distorted way.” She chose to use this technology to recreate the kind of advertising imagery she’s been exposed to her entire life.

The project explored the dynamic between digital and physical creation, contrasting the artist Man’s use of AI and screens with Isabella Lalonde’s work with textiles, the human body, and immersive installations. This tension broadened the project’s vision, and Lalonde’s willingness to embrace the imperfections of AI actually made it more focused. Even the challenges – whether technical or artistic – fueled the creative process, helping to define how identity and beauty are formed.

At its core, the work presented a thought-provoking idea: beauty, identity, and media aren’t fixed concepts, but rather ongoing creations shaped by culture and technology. By working with AI as both a partner and a contrast, Man and Lalonde revealed the constructed nature of perfection. Their exhibition wasn’t about rejecting technology, but about artists asserting their control and responding to change in a meaningful way. In *twentynine*, feelings of nostalgia were used to offer criticism, and the superficiality of fashion was transformed into a reflection of our anxieties about the digital world.

The magazine *twentynine* and its associated event, *The twentynine Experience*, transformed Lenovo and Intel’s Make Space – a platform designed to support young creatives with resources and opportunities – into a dynamic, real-world workshop. The event highlighted an important idea: creativity is constantly changing, and technology needs to adapt alongside it. At a time when artificial intelligence can seem daunting, *twentynine* demonstrated how embracing experimentation, constructive criticism, and teamwork can unlock exciting new creative avenues.

At its heart, *twentynine* wasn’t just about displaying art; it was about bringing people together. The gallery felt like a lively house party, buzzing with creative energy and new collaborations sparked by shared ideas. While magazines in the early 2000s often focused on polished perfection, *twentynine* magazine and *The twentynine Experience* celebrated the beauty of creative imperfection-a mix of humor, thoughtful criticism, and teamwork-and showed us that the most exciting future is one that embraces the unexpected.

Read More