Key Takeaways:
Somerset House, a historic arts and cultural center in London, offers visitors a new lens on how beauty, technology, and identity intersect in its latest exhibition, Virtual Beauty. Visitors experience a thought-provoking exploration of identity and beauty while examining how technology, from AI influencers to camera-phone filters, shapes the perception of ourselves and the world.
“Some of these possibilities can impact our self-perceptions in negative ways, but I don’t think Virtual Beauty explicitly aims to take a negative approach,” said Bunny Kinney, Co-Curator of Virtual Beauty. “There is something wondrous about the infinite possibility of self-invention that technology allows for, and this is the spirit we aim to capture through the work presented here.”
The exhibition features a diverse roster of artists who interrogate traditional beauty norms through radical and experimental practices— bringing together an international lineup of artists whose works span performance, digital media, textiles, and immersive installations, all analyzing how beauty is constructed and consumed in the age of technology.
Visitors encounter work such as ORLAN’s surgical performances, which uses the artist’s own body as a canvas, transforming physical appearance into performance art. “She [Orlan] puts identity, particularly as it pertains to womanhood, at the center of the piece and asks: When we change the way we look, who is it really for?” Kinney said.
Similarly, the exhibition features Qualeasha Wood’s richly woven jacquard tapestries, merging internet iconography with traditional craft to question digital identity. Works from emerging and established artists exploring phenomena such as AI influencers, Snapchat dysmorphia, and looksmaxxing culture are also featured. By juxtaposing predigital experiments in bodily transformation with contemporary digital-native expressions, the exhibition highlights how the tools we use to reshape and present ourselves, from the scalpel to the filter, reveal shifting beauty norms and the complexities of selfhood in an online world.
A key theme of Virtual Beauty is empowerment through creative self-expression. Kinney noted, “Safe spaces for creative expression and experimentation of one’s identity are needed now more than ever.” Visitors are encouraged to imagine alternative, nonalgorithmic selfhoods, exploring beauty norms that are expansive, inclusive, and fluid rather than prescriptive.
The exhibition’s public program, including guided tours, panel discussions, and relaxed sessions, is designed to make the themes of digital selfhood accessible to all. “We all have a face, a body, and an identity that is expressed and perceived through those things. Beauty is universal,” Kinney emphasizes.
For the beauty industry, Virtual Beauty offers a timely moment of reflection. As consumers increasingly encounter AI-generated faces, virtual try-ons, and influencer-driven ideals, brands are operating in a rapidly evolving landscape where technology intersects with identity and self-expression.
Traditional notions of beauty are no longer static; digital platforms allow users to experiment with their appearance in ways that were previously impossible. For beauty brands, this shift presents both opportunities and challenges: How can they create products, campaigns, and experiences that feel aspirational while remaining authentic to diverse consumer identities? The exhibition’s focus on playful experimentation and the endless possibilities of digital selfhood underscores the need for brands to embrace flexibility, inclusivity, and creativity in their approach.
The rise of digital beauty, through AI influencers like Lil Miquela, AR filters, or personalized virtual try-ons, forces brands to reconsider the ethics of representation. Consumers are now more aware than ever of the curated nature of online appearances and the psychological impact of digitally mediated beauty standards.
Virtual Beauty highlights that empowerment and agency in self-presentation are increasingly central to contemporary beauty culture. By championing creative self-expression and questioning the pressures of algorithmic ideals, the exhibition signals a broader industry shift: Brands that encourage individuality, celebrate diverse identities, and offer tools for playful experimentation are likely to resonate with today’s digitally native consumers.
Virtual Beauty is on view at Somerset House from July 23 - September 28, 2025, inviting visitors to reconsider what beauty can mean when digital tools become part of our self-expression toolkit.
