Status: In Production
In a time when influencers have become the new idols, and Instagram filters and viral TikTok beauty trends rapidly interchange, Beautify questions the role of technology in shaping dominant female beauty standards. Behind the façade of spectacle and entertainment lies a lingering sense of oppression: escaping the endless scroll of misleading images and countless bits of information seems impossible, and the effect on the self-image of young women is undeniable. What degree of autonomy do we as humans have over female beauty standards in a world dominated by AI, facial recognition, and algorithms? Do we create the online beauty standards ourselves or do we try to match the perfection presented to us by technology?
Beautify is a transmedia art installation that combines documentary, live performance, and immersive interactive elements to shed light on these questions. In the background, the project reflects on the relationship between our online and offline lives, showing underlying capitalist structures and gender inequality. Beautify presents the visitor with a mirror: one that tells us something about our zeitgeist in a broader social and socio-economic context.
Credits
Director/Creator: Isaura Sanwirjatmo
Senior Developer: Jan Misker, Carolien Teunisse
Spatial Design: Maarten Stolk
Graphics and UX/UI Design: Noemi Biro
Performance Director: Dimphna van Kempen
Actrice: Maria Marbus
DoP: René Huwaë
Narrative coach: Shamira Rafaëla
Partners: HNTjong and The Grey Space in the Middle
Producer: K.O. Productions
Exhibited at
– Preview at HNTjong, Den Haag (20 & 21 september 2025)
With the kind support of: Netherlands Film Fund, Creative Industries Fund NL, Cultuurloket DigitALL, Fonds 21, Cultuurfonds
