WHAT? Virtual Beauty

WHERE? Somerset House, Terrace Rooms, Strand, London WC2R 1LA. Free entry, pay‑what‑you‑can scheme

WHEN? Now until 28 September 2025

WHY GO? To explore beauty in a digital age. Face creams and toners seem archaic compared with revolutionary AI. Focusing on beauty in a digital age, this exhibition may make us reach for our rosewater. It’s impossible not to be confused as we navigate groundbreaking AI advances with words like “cyborg” bandied about. The exhibits range from French artist ORLAN live‑streaming her own cosmetic surgery to digital provocateur Mat Collishaw imagining new life emerging from ocean detritus. Social media has much to answer for—virtual beauty standards are shaped by Instagram filters and AI‑generated faces. When celebs like Kim Kardashian in Selfish (2015) inspired the “sexy baby tiger” look, the quest for selfie perfection was sealed. Virtual Beauty challenges us with the question: is it natural beauty, or a new artificial world?

IN THE KNOW Fascinated but don’t really get it? Visual anthropologist Mathilde Friis will guest‑tour the exhibition on Thursday 14 August at Somerset House (details online).