Sole Crushing: Reimagining Meriem Bennani’s Kinetic Art Through AI-Generated Sound

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Channeling Meriem Bennani’s Art into Sound

“Art will remain the most astonishing activity of mankind born out of struggle between wisdom and madness, between dream and reality in our mind.”
— Magdalena Abakanowicz

Google’s Deep Dive Podcast: When Flip-Flops Dream — AI, Aleatory Sound, and the Future of Avant-Garde Art

In a gesture of respect and reinterpretation, artist and sound explorer JJ has crafted a unique musical adaptation of Meriem Bennani’s (@meriembennani) kinetic art installation Sole Crushing. This re-imagining, created using the AI music generation tool Suno.com, merges aleatory processes, AI technology, and the raw, unedited sonic textures of Bennani’s original work to create a composition that resists authorship and embraces chance.

From Sculpture to Soundtrack

Bennani’s Sole Crushing, originally exhibited at Fondazione Prada, transformed 192 flip-flops into a breathing, percussive kinetic sculpture — a riotous machine that played a score by Cheb Runner (@cheb.runner) while tapping into cultural memory, digital aesthetics, and humorous critique. In JJ’s adaptation, this visual-kinetic chaos becomes the root of an entirely new audio experience.

The process began with a direct extraction of the installation’s own sound: JJ downloaded the original video and imported it into Audacity, the open-source digital audio workstation. Without applying any edits or effects, the video’s audio was exported raw as a WAV file — allowing Bennani’s original flip-flop percussion and ambient mechanical breath to serve as a pure “seed.”

This seed was then uploaded to Suno, where its generative AI music engine transformed the chaotic rhythm into something new — but guided by JJ’s stylistic prompts. These prompts were themselves derived directly from Bennani’s own description of the piece:

“A Chaabi-reggada-Duende-ballet-Riot of psychosomatic frequencies about flip-flop histories and sociopolitical percussive threads.”

Q: Was that a “proper” text to song style prompt?
A: Nope. JJ intentionally wanted the AI to infer from the phrase, other publicly available content, and biographical information of the artist.

Each phrase informed the genre and emotional tone of different segments:

• Chaabi-reggada brought North African folk and street energy.
• Duende-ballet conjured flamenco intensity and theatrical tension.
• Riot lent raw, distorted edge.
• Psychosomatic frequencies evoked experimental ambience.

The resulting tracks — each one born from the same audio root but shaped by a different stylistic lens — were randomly sequenced into one continuous longform composition. No mastering, no mixing — just flow.

Visuals by Serendipity

In the spirit of surrendering control, the image carousel for the project also followed an aleatory approach. Each track generated by Suno included an automatically created image. JJ used these directly, unfiltered, and randomized their sequence to accompany the stream. The thumbnail image for the YouTube version and the articless featured images were not chosen for aesthetic precision — they were selected at random from the AI Gen set.

The result is a sensory experiment that feels less like a remix and more like a channeled transmission — an ephemeral echo of Bennani’s work, distorted and translated through the lens of generative sound, and carried forward without ever claiming ownership.

A Muse, Not a Medium

JJ’s intention was not to reinterpret Sole Crushing as a commentary or critique, but to use it as a muse — letting the original artwork flow through AI without filtering it through a heavy human hand. In his own words, this was meant to “leave minimal footprints on her work,” allowing its essence to reemerge in a new form that was less authored and more discovered.

This is not a remix. It’s not a cover. It’s a resonance — the sound of flip-flops becoming symbols, percussion turning into poetry, and technology functioning not as tool, but as a mirror held up to the muse.

Where to Listen

The full adaptation, including the randomized audio sequence and visual carousel, is available as a stream here, on YouTube, and downloadable (free) digital audio. It stands not as a finished work, but as a living conversation — between artist and artist, complete strangers, as well as between human and machine, between flip-flop and frequency.

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Sole Crushing: An Aleatory Adaptation
Developed by JJ
Inspired by Meriem Bennani’s Sole Crushing
Music generated by Suno.com
Visuals and audio sourced from Suno AI

🎧 Play it. Loop it. Let it blur.

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Sole Crushing: Meriem Bennani’s Percussive Dream at Fondazione Prada

In 2024 Meriem Bennani unveiled Sole Crushing, an audacious and multi-layered art installation that captivated audiences with its playful yet poignant engagement with sound, culture, and fashion. The installation, on view at the prestigious Fondazione Prada in Milan, was not just a piece of art but a celebration of the unexpected—turning a seemingly mundane object, the flip-flop, into a transformative instrument in a highly imaginative setting.

The Concept: Flip-Flops as Percussion

In Sole Crushing, Bennani’s creation defies conventional boundaries. At its core, the installation is a giant, kinetic percussive instrument made from 192 flip-flops, each chosen for its varying fashion personalities and sole thickness. What begins as an exploration of a simple object quickly evolves into an innovative art form, turning flip-flops into an instrument capable of producing both recognizable music and chaotic noise.

The installation uses a breathing pneumatic system—a system that, as Bennani humorously describes, is “asthmatic”—to activate the flip-flops in percussive sequences. The intricate network of flip-flops plays a custom composition by Cheb Runner, a Chaabi-reggada-Duende-ballet-Riot, where the sounds fluctuate from rhythmic harmony to dissonant noise, blurring the lines between music and cacophony.

Collaborations and Technical Mastery

This dream project came to life through an exciting collaboration with various talented individuals. Bennani worked closely with engineers Simone and Jacopo at Studio Anderle, who were responsible for setting up the pneumatic system that brought the flip-flops to life. Additionally, the beautiful wooden structures and mixed-material drums were crafted by Tecnolegno Allestimenti, contributing to the overall visual and tactile experience of the installation. The entire project came together under the meticulous and caring guidance of the team at Fondazione Prada, including Alessia, Vero Babi, Niccolò Gravina, and others who supported Bennani’s vision every step of the way.

The result was an immersive experience that not only challenged the role of music and sound in art but also explored the cultural and social significance of everyday objects. The flip-flop, often seen as a casual and humble footwear choice, was elevated to the status of an instrument, proving Bennani’s ability to make the ordinary extraordinary.

The Animated Film and Catalog

As part of the Sole Crushing experience, Bennani collaborated with the creative minds at Changeme and Half Boy to produce an animated film that further explored the installation’s themes. The film, along with the installation, is documented in a beautiful catalog designed by Tiffla Teef, with editing by Mario Mainetti and Cristina Tagliabue. The catalog is an essential companion to the exhibit, delving into the sociopolitical and historical contexts of flip-flops, alongside text contributions by Emily Labarge, Haia Mawad, Lars Lala, and Chrissie.

Cultural Commentary and Humor

Beyond the technical and artistic prowess, Sole Crushing stands as a work of cultural commentary. By reimagining flip-flops—a ubiquitous, often overlooked item—as both an object of beauty and a powerful sound-making tool, Bennani invites viewers to rethink the value and significance of everyday objects. The playful tone of her post, where she humorously thanks the Italian people for pronouncing “FlipEflopE” in her presence, also speaks to her ability to blend humor and critique. It’s a reminder that art can be both serious and lighthearted, offering deeper reflections on society while also celebrating the joy of creation.

Bennani’s inclusion of flip-flops in Sole Crushing also touches on themes of postcolonial identity, humor, and the intersections of culture and global consumerism. The flip-flop, a symbol of both accessibility and exoticism, becomes a tool for Bennani to explore how objects can transcend their utilitarian purpose and take on deeper meaning in the context of art.

Conclusion: An Instrument of Change

In Sole Crushing, Meriem Bennani transforms the flip-flop into much more than just footwear. She creates an environment where sound, culture, and technology intersect in a bold, innovative manner. Through her witty and thoughtful approach, Bennani reminds us of the profound beauty in the overlooked and the potential for transformation in the most unexpected places.

Sole Crushing isn’t merely an art installation; it’s an exploration of identity, a playful critique of materialism, and a celebration of the absurd. And, as always, it challenges us to rethink the role of the mundane in our lives, turning it into something worthy of reflection, humor, and, of course, music.

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For more on the work of Meriem Bennani and to explore the full Sole Crushing catalog, visit the Fondazione Prada’s exhibition space or check out the latest updates on Bennani’s social media.

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Meriem Bennani: Navigating Identity and Humor in Digital Realms

Meriem Bennani, born in 1988 in Rabat, Morocco, is a New York-based artist renowned for her innovative use of video, sculpture, and immersive installations. Her work delves into themes of identity, gender, and the influence of digital culture, often blending humor with critical commentary.

Early Life and Education

Raised in Rabat, Bennani received a French education before pursuing higher studies in the arts. She earned a Master of Fine Arts in Animation from the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 2011, followed by a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The Cooper Union in New York in 2012 .​

Artistic Practice and Themes

Bennani’s multidisciplinary approach incorporates video, sculpture, and digital media to explore the complexities of contemporary identity. Her work often juxtaposes elements of Moroccan culture with global digital aesthetics, creating narratives that challenge stereotypes and highlight the nuances of postcolonial experiences.​

A notable example is her 2020 collaboration with Israeli artist Orian Barki on the video series 2 Lizards, which documents life in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic. The series, described as a “preeminent document of life under quarantine,” combines animation and documentary styles to offer a surreal yet poignant portrayal of isolation and adaptation.

Exhibitions and Recognition

Bennani’s work has been featured in numerous prestigious institutions worldwide, including:​ Teen Vogue

• MoMA PS1, New York
• Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris
• Julia Stoschek Collection, Berlin
• The Kitchen, New York​
• The Renaissance Society, Chicago

She has participated in major exhibitions such as the 2019 Whitney Biennial and the 2016 Shanghai Biennale.​

Reflections

Bennani often incorporates her family into her work, using them as subjects to explore themes of intimacy and cultural representation. She has described this process as emotionally complex, balancing between feeling like a “monster” who traps family members into the digital world and fully loving and celebrating family.​
Teen Vogue

Meriem Bennani

Through her innovative use of digital media and immersive installations, Meriem Bennani offers a unique perspective on identity and culture in the digital age. Her work continues to resonate globally, challenging audiences to reconsider preconceived notions and embrace the complexities of contemporary life.​

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📔Sole Crushing: Bennani’s Kinetic Art Reimagined Through AI Sound

The TATANKA website presents an article titled “Sole Crushing: Reimagining Meriem Bennani’s Kinetic Art Through AI-Generated Sound.” This piece discusses artist JJ’s innovative project that used AI music generation to create a sonic interpretation of Meriem Bennani’s flip-flop kinetic sculpture, Sole Crushing. The article details how the raw sounds of Bennani’s installation were fed into an AI tool, guided by her own descriptive phrases, to produce randomly sequenced musical tracks and accompanying visuals. Furthermore, the text provides background on Bennani’s original Sole Crushing installation at Fondazione Prada, highlighting its conceptual basis using flip-flops as a percussive instrument and its themes of culture and identity. Finally, the website features a brief overview of Meriem Bennani’s artistic career, noting her exploration of identity and digital culture across various media.

Briefing Document: Reimagining Meriem Bennani’s “Sole Crushing” Through AI-Generated Sound

Date: April 16, 2025
Source: Excerpts from “Sole Crushing: Reimagining Meriem Bennani’s Kinetic Art Through AI-Generated Sound – TATANKA”

Main Themes:

• Reinterpretation of Kinetic Art through AI Sound: The central theme is the transformation of Meriem Bennani’s kinetic art installation, Sole Crushing, into an auditory experience using AI music generation.
• Aleatory Processes and Chance: The project emphasizes the embrace of chance and randomness in both the sound generation and visual presentation.
• Challenging Authorship: The adaptation intentionally minimizes human intervention, aiming for a “channeled transmission” rather than a traditional remix or cover.
• Exploring the “Muse” in Art: Bennani’s original work serves as a source of inspiration and raw material, not as a subject for critique or commentary.
• Intersection of Physical and Digital Art: The project bridges the gap between a physical, kinetic sculpture and a digital, AI-generated soundscape.
• Cultural Commentary through Mundane Objects: Bennani’s original installation uses flip-flops, ordinary objects, to explore themes of culture, identity, and global consumerism.

Most Important Ideas and Facts:

• Meriem Bennani’s Sole Crushing (2024): This installation at Fondazione Prada featured 192 flip-flops in a “breathing, percussive kinetic sculpture” that played a score by Cheb Runner. It was described as a “Chaabi-reggada-Duende-ballet-Riot” and tapped into “cultural memory, digital aesthetics, and humorous critique.”
• The installation utilized a “breathing pneumatic system” to activate the flip-flops.
• The flip-flops were chosen for their “varying fashion personalities and sole thickness.”
• The project involved collaborations with engineers at Studio Anderle and carpentry by Tecnolegno Allestimenti.
• An animated film and catalog accompanied the exhibition, further exploring its themes and the “sociopolitical and historical contexts of flip-flops.”
• Bennani’s work often blends “humor with critical commentary” and explores themes of “postcolonial identity” and the significance of “everyday objects.”
• JJ’s AI-Generated Sound Adaptation: Artist and sound explorer JJ reimagined Sole Crushing using the AI music generation tool Suno.com.
• The process began by extracting the raw audio from a video of Bennani’s installation using Audacity, creating a pure “seed.”
• This raw audio was uploaded to Suno, and its AI engine generated new tracks based on stylistic prompts derived directly from Bennani’s description of her piece: “A Chaabi-reggada-Duende-ballet-Riot of psychosomatic frequencies about flip-flop histories and sociopolitical percussive threads.”
• JJ intentionally used this descriptive phrase as a prompt, wanting the AI to “infer from the phrase, other publicly available content, and biographical information of the artist.”
• Each phrase informed the genre and emotional tone of different segments: “Chaabi-reggada” (North African folk and street energy), “Duende-ballet” (flamenco intensity and theatrical tension), “Riot” (raw, distorted edge), and “Psychosomatic frequencies” (experimental ambience).
• The resulting tracks were “randomly sequenced” into a continuous longform composition without any mastering or mixing.
• The visuals for the project also followed an aleatory approach, using the automatically generated images from Suno for each track in a randomized sequence. Even the thumbnail image was chosen at random.
• JJ’s intention was not a “remix” or “cover” but a “resonance” and a “channeled transmission” that aimed to “leave minimal footprints on her work,” using it as a “muse.”
• Meriem Bennani’s Artistic Background:Born in Rabat, Morocco in 1988, she is a New York-based artist working with video, sculpture, and immersive installations.
• Her work explores themes of “identity, gender, and the influence of digital culture,” often blending Moroccan culture with global digital aesthetics.
• She is known for works like the video series 2 Lizards (collaboration with Orian Barki) which documented life in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Her work has been exhibited in prestigious institutions worldwide and she has participated in major exhibitions like the Whitney Biennial and the Shanghai Biennale.

Key Quotes:

• Magdalena Abakanowicz: “Art will remain the most astonishing activity of mankind born out of struggle between wisdom and madness, between dream and reality in our mind.” (Quoted as an introduction to the concept).
• JJ: “…this re-imagining, created using the AI music generation tool Suno.com, merges aleatory processes, AI technology, and the raw, unedited sonic textures of Bennani’s original work to create a composition that resists authorship and embraces chance.” (Describing the project’s methodology and goals).
• JJ on the prompt: “A Chaabi-reggada-Duende-ballet-Riot of psychosomatic frequencies about flip-flop histories and sociopolitical percussive threads.” (Bennani’s description used as the AI prompt).
• JJ on the AI’s interpretation: “JJ intentionally wanted the AI to infer from the phrase, other publicly available content, and biographical information of the artist.” (Explaining the nature of the prompt).
• The article’s description of the result: “The result is a sensory experiment that feels less like a remix and more like a channeled transmission — an ephemeral echo of Bennani’s work, distorted and translated through the lens of generative sound, and carried forward without ever claiming ownership.” (Highlighting the unique nature of the adaptation).
• JJ on the intention: “JJ’s intention was not to reinterpret Sole Crushing as a commentary or critique, but to use it as a muse — letting the original artwork flow through AI without filtering it through a heavy human hand. In his own words, this was meant to ‘leave minimal footprints on her work,’ allowing its essence to reemerge in a new form that was less authored and more discovered.” (Explaining the artistic philosophy behind the project).
• The article defining the adaptation: “This is not a remix. It’s not a cover. It’s a resonance — the sound of flip-flops becoming symbols, percussion turning into poetry, and technology functioning not as tool, but as a mirror held up to the muse .” (Emphasizing the unique relationship between the original art and the AI adaptation).
• Meriem Bennani on her installation: “…a giant, kinetic percussive instrument made from 192 flip-flops…turning flip-flops into an instrument capable of producing both recognizable music and chaotic noise.” (Describing the core concept of Sole Crushing).
• Meriem Bennani on the sound: “The intricate network of flip-flops plays a custom composition by Cheb Runner, a Chaabi-reggada-Duende-ballet-Riot, where the sounds fluctuate from rhythmic harmony to dissonant noise, blurring the lines between music and cacophony.” (Detailing the sonic aspect of her original work).
• The article on Bennani’s cultural commentary: “By reimagining flip-flops—a ubiquitous, often overlooked item—as both an object of beauty and a powerful sound-making tool, Bennani invites viewers to rethink the value and significance of everyday objects.” (Highlighting the deeper meaning in her work).

Conclusion:

The article highlights a fascinating experiment in artistic reinterpretation. JJ’s AI-generated sound adaptation of Meriem Bennani’s Sole Crushing moves beyond traditional remixing by leveraging the raw sonic elements of the original kinetic sculpture and using Bennani’s own evocative description as a prompt for AI. The emphasis on aleatory processes, minimal human intervention, and the concept of the original artwork as a “muse” results in a unique “resonance” that explores the intersection of physical art, AI technology, and chance. This project not only offers a new way to experience Bennani’s thought-provoking work but also raises questions about authorship, creativity, and the potential of AI in artistic expression.

Frequently Asked Questions on Meriem Bennani’s Sole Crushing and its AI Reimagining

1. What is Meriem Bennani’s Sole Crushing installation about? Sole Crushing is a kinetic art installation by Meriem Bennani that features 192 flip-flops transformed into a percussive instrument. The installation uses a pneumatic system to activate the flip-flops, playing a score by Cheb Runner described as a “Chaabi-reggada-Duende-ballet-Riot.” It explores themes of cultural memory, digital aesthetics, and offers a humorous critique by elevating the mundane flip-flop into an object of artistic and sonic significance. The work also touches on postcolonial identity and global consumerism.

2. How did artist JJ reimagine Sole Crushing through sound? JJ created an audio adaptation of Sole Crushing using the AI music generation tool Suno.com. The process began by extracting the raw, unedited audio from a video of Bennani’s installation. This original percussive sound of the flip-flops became the “seed” for the AI. JJ then used stylistic prompts derived directly from Bennani’s own description of the piece (Chaabi-reggada, Duende-ballet, Riot, Psychosomatic frequencies) to guide Suno’s AI in generating new musical interpretations.

3. What is significant about the use of AI in JJ’s reimagining of Sole Crushing? The use of AI, specifically Suno.com, allowed for a unique “channeling” of Bennani’s work. JJ intentionally provided abstract prompts rather than explicit text-to-song instructions, encouraging the AI to infer meaning from the phrases, publicly available content, and biographical information about Bennani. This approach aimed to minimize direct human authorship and allow the essence of Sole Crushing to re-emerge in a new, less controlled form, emphasizing discovery over deliberate remixing.

4. How did the concept of “aleatory processes” play a role in this sound adaptation and its presentation? Aleatory processes, or chance operations, were central to JJ’s approach. The different musical tracks generated by Suno, each influenced by a different stylistic prompt, were randomly sequenced into a continuous composition. Similarly, the accompanying image carousel utilized the automatically generated images from Suno, presented in a random order. Even the thumbnail and featured images were chosen randomly, reinforcing the theme of surrendering control and embracing serendipity in the artistic process.

5. What was JJ’s intention behind this AI-generated sound adaptation? JJ’s primary intention was not to critique or reinterpret Sole Crushing but to use it as a “muse.” The goal was to create a “resonance” of Bennani’s work by allowing its original sounds and descriptive language to flow through the AI without significant human intervention. JJ aimed to “leave minimal footprints,” allowing the essence of the installation to be discovered anew in an audio format.

6. How does this project challenge traditional notions of artistic authorship and remixing? This project blurs the lines of traditional authorship. While JJ initiated the process and provided the prompts, the AI played a significant role in generating the musical content and visuals. The emphasis on raw, unedited source material and random sequencing further diminishes the sense of a singular authorial vision. JJ explicitly states that this is not a remix or cover, but a “resonance,” suggesting a more indirect and collaborative relationship between the original artwork, the AI, and the human initiator.

7. What does the adaptation aim to explore about the relationship between different art forms and technology? The adaptation explores the potential for translation and transformation between visual-kinetic art and sound through the use of AI. It demonstrates how the core ideas and energy of one artistic medium can be channeled and re-expressed in another using generative technology. The project also examines the evolving role of technology not just as a tool, but as a potential “mirror held up to the muse,” reflecting and reinterpreting artistic concepts in unexpected ways.

8. Where can one experience this AI-generated sound adaptation of Sole Crushing? The full adaptation, featuring the randomized audio sequence and visual carousel, is available for streaming on the TATANKA website and YouTube. It is also available for free download as digital audio files. The project is presented as an ongoing conversation between artists, strangers, humans, and machines, inviting listeners to engage with it by playing, looping, and allowing it to evolve through repeated listening.

Study Guide: Reimagining Kinetic Art with AI Sound

Key Concepts:

• Kinetic Art: Art that contains moving parts or depends on viewer motion for its effect.
• Aleatory Process: Processes involving chance or randomness, often used in artistic creation.
• AI Music Generation: The use of artificial intelligence algorithms to create music.
• Cultural Commentary: Art that critiques or reflects upon aspects of society, culture, or politics.
• Postcolonial Identity: The complex sense of self and cultural belonging experienced by individuals and societies in the aftermath of colonialism.
• Generative Art: Art created in whole or in part through the use of an autonomous system, such as a computer algorithm.
• Muse (in art): A person or thing that inspires an artist’s creative work.
• Resonance (in art): The quality of evoking shared feelings or beliefs; a sense of deep connection between the artwork and the viewer or another work.
• Chaabi, Reggada, Duende: Distinct North African and flamenco musical and performance styles characterized by specific rhythms, emotional intensity, and cultural contexts.
• Psychosomatic: Relating to the interaction of mind and body, often used to describe physical symptoms with psychological origins.
• Digital Audio Workstation (DAW): A software application used for recording, editing, and producing audio.
• Open Source: Software with publicly accessible source code that can be freely used, modified, and distributed.

Quiz:

1. Describe the original form of Meriem Bennani’s artwork, Sole Crushing, and mention one of its key characteristics.
2. What was JJ’s primary approach in creating the musical adaptation of Sole Crushing, and what technology did they utilize?
3. Explain the significance of using the raw audio from Bennani’s installation as the “seed” for the AI music generation.
4. How did JJ incorporate Bennani’s own description of Sole Crushing into the AI music generation process, and what was the effect of this approach?
5. What does the article mean by stating that the resulting musical adaptation embraces “chance” and “resists authorship”?
6. In what ways did JJ extend the aleatory (chance-based) approach beyond the music generation to the visual elements of the project?
7. According to the article, was JJ’s intention to create a remix or critique of Bennani’s work? Explain their actual aim.
8. How does Bennani’s Sole Crushing installation engage with the cultural significance of flip-flops?
9. Discuss one of the broader themes explored in Bennani’s overall artistic practice, beyond the specifics of Sole Crushing.
10. What does the article suggest about the relationship between technology (specifically AI) and artistic creation, based on JJ’s adaptation?

Answer Key:

1. Meriem Bennani’s Sole Crushing was a kinetic art installation at Fondazione Prada featuring 192 flip-flops transformed into a breathing, percussive sculpture. A key characteristic was its ability to produce both recognizable music and chaotic noise through a pneumatic system.
2. JJ’s primary approach was to create a musical adaptation by using the raw sounds of Bennani’s original installation as a starting point for AI music generation. They utilized the AI music generation tool Suno.com for this process.
3. Using the raw audio from the installation as the “seed” ensured that the adaptation was directly connected to the sonic textures and rhythms of Bennani’s original work, allowing the AI to build upon its inherent qualities. This created a more direct and less mediated transformation.
4. JJ used Bennani’s descriptive phrases about Sole Crushing (e.g., “Chaabi-reggada-Duende-ballet-Riot”) as stylistic prompts for the AI. This guided the AI to generate music with specific genre influences and emotional tones inferred from Bennani’s artistic vision and background.
5. By randomly sequencing the AI-generated tracks and using automatically created visuals, the project incorporated chance elements into its final form. The lack of mixing, mastering, or curated visual selection minimized direct human control, thus resisting traditional notions of a single author’s definitive artistic statement.
6. Beyond the music, JJ allowed the AI to generate images for each track automatically and then randomized their sequence. Similarly, the thumbnail and featured images were chosen randomly from the AI-generated set, further emphasizing the surrender of deliberate artistic control.
7. JJ’s intention was not to create a remix or critique but to use Bennani’s Sole Crushing as a “muse.” The goal was to allow the essence of the original artwork to flow through the AI and reemerge in a new sonic form with minimal human intervention.
8. Bennani’s Sole Crushing reimagines flip-flops, a ubiquitous and often overlooked object, as both a percussive instrument and a symbol laden with cultural and sociopolitical meaning. This elevates the mundane and invites reflection on the value and significance of everyday items, also touching on themes of postcolonial identity and global consumerism.
9. Beyond Sole Crushing, Bennani’s artistic practice frequently explores themes of identity, gender, and the influence of digital culture, often blending humor with critical commentary. Her work juxtaposes elements of Moroccan culture with global digital aesthetics to challenge stereotypes and explore postcolonial experiences.
10. The article suggests that technology, particularly AI, can function as a tool for artistic exploration and transformation, acting as a “mirror held up to the muse.” It can enable new forms of creative expression that embrace chance and challenge traditional notions of authorship, fostering a “living conversation” between artists and machines.

Essay Format Questions:

1. Analyze the significance of the collaboration between human artist (JJ), AI technology (Suno), and the existing artwork (Sole Crushing) in the creation of the audio adaptation. Discuss the implications of this multi-layered creative process for the future of art.
2. Explore the concept of “aleatory” or chance-based processes in the context of both Meriem Bennani’s Sole Crushing and JJ’s AI-generated sound adaptation. How does the incorporation of randomness contribute to the meaning and interpretation of these artworks?
3. Discuss how Meriem Bennani’s Sole Crushing functions as a form of cultural commentary. What specific aspects of culture and society does the artwork address, and how does the use of the flip-flop contribute to this commentary?
4. Analyze JJ’s approach to the AI music generation process, particularly the use of Bennani’s descriptive language as prompts. How does this method of engaging with AI differ from more conventional approaches to musical composition, and what does it reveal about the potential of AI as a creative partner?
5. Consider the article’s assertion that JJ’s work is not a remix but a “resonance.” How does this distinction frame our understanding of artistic adaptation and the relationship between original and derivative works in the digital age?