Rain began to hit the city. As soon as I started to climb through the stairs of this old German building, I couldn’t help but notice the imposing black doors. Their weighty presence was trying to invite me to visit other eras.

One of the doors open. “Do you want some tea?” Manon greeted me with a warm smile, welcoming me into her cozy apartment. Rain was still visible through the window, but suddenly its cold feeling turned into a relaxing sound on the background. Every detail in the room was making you feel home. I had been introduced to Manon through a mutual friend and was eager to know more about her.

Interviewer (I): So, I know you’re French and I also like your apartment, but curious about what led you to where you are right now. What kept you awake as a kid?

Manon (M): Probably creating dream atmospheres like the ones I used to build when I danced. I studied at the dance conservatory until I was 17. It wasn’t just about dancing, I loved designing the sets too. I dreamed of working on installations. At some point I discovered video mapping and it turned into me wanting to become a VJ. So, I decided to study Motion Design. I wanted to amaze people, to create this magical thing.

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"I wanted to amaze people, to create this magical thing"

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I: Was there a particular show that impacted you?

M: This world just blew my mind. I wanted to learn everything about it. I became obsessed with all kinds of art directors in France and what they were doing. And I was really, really a fan of Ali Mahdavi, the art director of the Crazy Horse. I loved his job so much! And yeah, I just wanted to be like him, an art director for cabaret in Paris.

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I: So did studying your dream career lead you down that path?

M: Not exactly. My first internship was a huge disappointment. The daily life of the job wasn’t what I imagined. I was stuck at a computer behind my desk. I wanted to be out there, part of the installations, but most of the stuff was happening in the dark, at night and I’m more of a homebody person, not really into clubs and parties, it wasn’t my thing. That made me hit a moment where I wanted to look at what disappointed me and to deconstruct, to redo the puzzle of what can be nicer.

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"Semantics helped me understand that by choosing my words carefully, I can shape atmospheres and create safer spaces"

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I: What helped you in that process?

M: That phase of my life made me question all I really wanted. I started to interrogate everything: the images that we have, the words on a poster that I was seeing on the street, the words on the media. And I became fascinated with semantics and iconography. I think I really became interested in semantics because it saved me from my disappointment with the world. I noticed a lot of unfairness, and since I have a strong sense of justice, I was always drawn to understanding things deeply. Semantics helped me understand that by choosing my words carefully, I can shape atmospheres and create safer spaces.

Then I got an opportunity with a studio in Barcelona that works at the intersection of data and art. I was thrilled, thinking I’d finally join installations, but instead, they asked me to research AI. And at first, I hated AI, I was bored of these ugly, biased images.

I: That’s interesting, considering how much you work with generative AI now!

M: I know, right? At the time, I took the challenge aiming to criticize things. I spent days comparing AI models and how they interpret adjectives. That eventually led to teaching. I noticed most tutorials online were by guys generating sexy images of women, so I became the woman showing there’s so much more you can do. Suddenly, it connected with everything I was passionate about: semantics, justice, being creative, and I started to fall in love with the AI world. But there’s something else, did I tell you I’m a lucid dreamer?

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"It’s all about balance. Balance of shapes, composition, light, it all comes together to create harmony”

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I: Wait, what do you mean by that?

M: As a kid it was terrifying, but I trained myself to control it. Now I can travel in my dreams. You're conscious that you’re dreaming and are in the middle of a new landscape being able to decide what to do next. It’s like living your best life, but in your dreams! This has a huge influence on my creativity. And crafting images with generative AI is a lot like controlling dreams by using the right words.

But there’s so much hype around AI right now. Sure, people will say, “I can do this, I can do that,” and sometimes it feels like they can move mountains. For me, though, it’s about finding satisfaction in the smaller things: creating something meaningful, something that can make someone happy.

It’s all about balance. Balance of shapes, composition, light, it all comes together to create harmony. And that, for me, is where the real magic happens.

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Some GenAI work from Manon