Artifashion Intelligence™ – The Virtual Journey of the Mask

Artifashion Intellighenzia is an immersive virtual reality installation by the ARTOLDO collective that blends AI-generated 3D objects, text, and voice cloning with audiovisual elements within a 360° space to explore a compelling question: Is fashion art?

The installation features virtual representations of iconic figures such as Alexander McQueen, Joel-Peter Witkin, David Bowie, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Isabella Blow, Sarah Burton, and others.

All voices in the installation are AI-generated clones, created using advanced voice cloning technology. Audio samples were meticulously extracted and refined from publicly available interviews, while AI-crafted scripts are rooted in in-depth research by Sara Ferro and Chris Weil. These scripts examine the provocative intersection of fashion and art.

This mixed-media project integrates cutting-edge technologies and artistic genres, including AI, virtual reality, 3D modeling, video art, audio and video editing, music composition, photo collage, moving image art, net art, code art, scripting, web design, and even site hacking.

From concept to completion, the project was developed over the course of a month to ensure a seamless experience across major browsers on smartphones, tablets, and desktops. More than a demonstration of how AI can enhance mixed-media art, Artifashion Intellighenzia delves into the nuanced dialogue between fashion and art.

Through this installation, we aspired to offer inspiration and bring iconic personalities like Alexander McQueen and David Bowie back to life in a digital form. The project also poses a broader question: Could this represent a step toward creating digital legacies for all?

  • Sara Ferro
    Director
  • Chris Weil
    Director
  • Sara Ferro
    Writer
  • Alexander McQueen
    Key Cast
  • Joel-Peter Witkin
    Key Cast
  • David Bowie
    Key Cast
  • Kanye West
    Key Cast
  • Lady Gaga
    Key Cast
  • Isabella Blow
    Key Cast
  • Sarah Burton
    Key Cast
  • Seán McGirr
    Key Cast
  • ARTOLDO pictures
    Production
  • RedMagicBlue
    Development
  • Project Type:
    Virtual Reality, Installation, Game, 360 Video
  • Genres:
    Fashion, Art, Artificial Intelligence, Fashion Media Studies, Mixed-Media, Art Game, Fan Game, Point and Click Adventure
  • Minimum Runtime:
    5 minutes
  • Maximum Runtime:
    60 minutes
  • Average Runtime:
    45 minutes
  • Country of Origin:
    Italy
  • Language:
    English
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Artifashion Intellighenzia – The Virtual Journey of the Mask
    Studio Brera – Milano
    Italy
    Feb 6 - Feb 9 2025
    Solo Exhibition
Director Biography - Sara Ferro, Chris Weil

Artoldo is a german, italian ultra-contemporary artist couple, mainly associated with Virtual art, consisting of Sara Ferro and Chris Weil. Artoldo is most frequently exhibited in Italy and Europe, North America and Asia.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The immersive AI-generated VR installation serves as a tribute to the legacy of British fashion icon Alexander McQueen, a close friend of David Bowie. The poster is inspired by McQueen’s No. 13 Finale from his Spring/Summer 1999 runway show, where model Shalom Harlow stood on a rotating platform, dressed in white, while robots spray-painted her. This iconic moment is reimagined through generative AI, with Harlow and her dress recreated in vivid detail. Viewers can access the runway video by pointing the mask at the model.

The installation can be experienced as a Point-and-Click Adventure Art Game, offering an immersive, interactive journey in any browser on Desktop, Tablet and Mobile devices. Visitors can discover the Alexander McQueen After Life collection, featuring over 30 AI-generated 3D models by Artoldo. The installation also includes AI voice cloning, with a total runtime of 45 minutes, enriching the experience with layers of sound and storytelling.

The poster also references Joel-Peter Witkin’s Mask and McQueen’s The Birds, with the red cross sprayed above Witkin’s Mask being replicated in the installation. In this tribute, the fashion runway is designed as a red carpet shaped like a cross, linking to Witkin’s deep Christian mythological worldview. This thoughtful design choice strengthens the connection between McQueen’s fashion art and Witkin’s symbolic imagery.

Moreover, to sum up, the red cross, which is sprayed above the crucified Jesus figure on Witkin’s Mask, raises the question of whether AI signals the death of fashion and art, or if it represents the resurrection of a system long past, offering a chance for rebirth and new levels of expression that were once unimaginable.