Terror of Beauty by Sarah Amrani

“The starting point was my fascination with online hijab makeup tutorials”

Strategy of Beautification, 2018 © Sarah Amrani

Emerging artist Sarah Amrani takes centre stage at Foam with Terror of Beauty, her first solo museum exhibition. At its heart lies the hijab — a powerful frame that accentuates beauty while reflecting on autonomy and self-expression. Inspired by the hijab’s evolving role in digital spaces like makeup tutorials, Amrani examines it as a bridge between tradition and modernity. Textiles, photography, and videography converge to ask: how does the online world redefine our self-image and cultural symbols?

Glitch’d ID immediately caught our eye as we entered the space, for its allure and exploration of the fluidity of identity. A face, printed on translucent chiffon, is suspended before another on paper. As the materials shift and brush against each other, they produce an effect similar to a glitch. This “analogue glitch” represents the ever-changing nature of personhood, challenging and altering our perception. Through Sarah Amrani’s work, beauty becomes a site of resistance, reinvention, and profound introspection. We had the chance to ask Sarah Amrani about the themes woven into her first solo museum exhibition.

As an artist with Moroccan roots, how do you see your cultural heritage seeping in regarding the idea of beauty standards? 
Through digital platforms such as TikTok, I noticed this “trend” of the Amazigh tattoo, a cultural heritage symbol, transformed in the digital space through the use of face filters. The Amazigh face tattoos are a traditional symbol of status, identity and beauty. These tattoos were nearly displaced under the pressure of postcolonialism. My grandmother has these tattoos. Now they are making a ‘comeback’ primarily as digital filters, reflecting a shift from tradition to modern self-expression. These traditional symbols are rediscovered online by a new generation reconnecting with their roots in the digital space. This raises questions about the role of technology in redefining cultural identities and cultural beauty.
  

Strategy of Beautification, Hijab and Face Cut Out, 2017 © Sarah Amrani

The idea of the hijab as a visual frame for the female face is so captivating, and the makeup tutorial thumbnail-like images in your work are great, could you tell us a bit more about them? 
The starting point was my fascination with online hijab makeup tutorials, back when this was something quite niche and not yet part of the mainstream. I was particularly interested in how the hijab operates visually, framing the face and emphasising it—exposing the beauty standards at play. I then began looking into online beauty tools designed to give advice on how to enhance beauty, such as Anaface, a website that assigns a beauty score. These online technologies and social media platforms contribute to the cultural production of unrealistic, hyper-realistic beauty ideals, influencing how we perceive and behave toward beauty.

How do you view the impact of AI-generated images and virtual photography on self-expression?  
The rise of AI-generated images and virtual photography offers new opportunities for self-expression and identity formation. Rather than viewing this solely as a threat, I see it as a chance to critically reconsider our ideas about authenticity and beauty. However, bias in AI algorithms plays a significant role in this process. These algorithms are often rooted in a Western liberal worldview, as they are predominantly developed in the West. This results in AI-driven beauty ideals that may favour certain cultural norms over others, potentially limiting diversity in beauty perspectives.

 Terror of Beauty is on view until February 26th. Don’t miss the chance to experience it — get your ticket here

Words by Veronica Tlapanco Szabó

Images courtesy of Foam and the artist

Special thanks to Merthe!