Redefining the Beauty: Virtual Realities

Beauty remains as silent language that speaks to our hearts, weaving in us the hope of connection—a never-ending story, a vision reborn every time man meets the dream.

By Souad Khalil | Libya

In our contemporary world, where technological developments accelerate and cultures intertwine, the concept of beauty is acquiring a new dimension that transcends the traditional boundaries of art and aesthetics. Aesthetics is no longer merely a philosophy that discusses the qualities and value of beauty in classical works of art; it has become a dynamic field that responds to the transformations of the digital age and the revolution of social media.

This article takes us on a historical and philosophical journey through the evolution of aesthetics—from its roots in ancient civilizations, through the intellectual revolutions that reshaped our understanding of beauty, to the digital age that is redefining the rules of art and its interaction with the audience. We examine how artistic taste has been influenced by technological and cultural shifts, and raise new questions about the nature of beauty and its role in a constantly changing world full of challenge and renewal.

Aesthetics or the philosophy of art— or the theory of beauty—are synonymous terms that reflect a profound human concern, present in various forms across all civilizations. Although it is commonly believed that “aesthetics” is a modern concept tied to a new artistic vision, this notion is only partially true, since beauty has always been a central element in the spiritual and cultural life of humanity.

The term “aesthetics” was officially coined in 1760 by the German philosopher Alexander Baumgarten, taking on a systematic philosophical character that reflected profound changes in the human relationship with art. A double revolution occurred in the artistic system: on one side, the author (or artist), and on the other, the public (or viewed).

Transformation of Art’s Function: From the Sacred to Self-Expression

In ancient civilizations—especially in ancient Greece—works of art held an elevated function that went beyond human boundaries. Artistic “books” or creative productions aimed to recreate cosmic order, granting them a quasi-religious dimension, since the divine, in its supreme power, was believed to manifest through them.

These works were conceived as a microcosm, reflecting the balance of the universe in harmony with the general cosmic order. Thus, art was seen as an external force influencing man, contributing to his education and the formation of his consciousness, not as a purely internal product.

The Artist between Past and Present

Luc Ferry says: The ancient artist was not viewed as an individual creator, but rather as a mediator, expressing religious or mythological truth. People did not ask who made the Egyptian statues in the British Museum; instead, they focused on their symbolic meaning and religious value.

Today, the artist has become the center of the creative process. Art is no longer a mirror of the world, but a mirror of the self. A book becomes a personal canvas, a kind of identity card that expresses absolute self-awareness. In museums from New York to Paris and London, we now read the works of Duchamp, Stella, and Arton not as copies of the world, but as intellectual signs, carrying the imprints of consciousness and creative madness.

The Revolution of the Self and the Paradox of Modernity

This revolution in the artist’s position has transformed aesthetic values. The artist is no longer a transmitter of tradition or a voice of the gods, but a subjective creator, who draws inspiration from within. Here emerges what we might call a “break with tradition,” where innovation becomes a value in itself.

However, as philosophers like Octavio Paz point out, this absolute break with the past ultimately becomes a new tradition. Continuous innovation becomes a burden, and novelty turns into a hollow style. What once seemed like a modern revolution becomes banal and popular, with works accumulating in museums without arousing true wonder or authentic beauty.

Transformation of the Audience: From Passive Reception to Individual Taste

The transformation has not only affected the artist but also the audience. As Luc Ferry highlights, the notion of “taste” emerged as a subjective ability to distinguish between beauty and ugliness, rather than as an objective agreement on certain qualities.

It is believed that the first figurative use of this concept came from Baltasar Gracián, who used it to describe personal judgment based on intuition and preference. Beauty was no longer objective, but subjective, tied to what pleases us or satisfies our senses.

The Paradox of Agreement on Subjective Beauty

If beauty is subjective, as modern aesthetic theories claim, how do we explain the consensus around certain classic works? How have names like Shakespeare, Homer, or Michelangelo endured across centuries, receiving praise despite differences in taste?

This paradox opens the door to questions about the subjectivity of beauty and the possible existence of universal aesthetic values. Is there a shared human taste? Or is what we call “classical” merely the product of cultural accumulation and historical dominance?

This article shows that aesthetics is not a mere intellectual luxury, but a profound reflection of humanity’s changing view of the world, the self, and art. Between the sacredness of the past and the madness of the present, between traditional taste and the irony of new norms, beauty remains a living concept, continuously reinvented through the experience of both the artist and the audience.

Yet, the fundamental question remains open:

Is beauty something we discover, or something we create?

And can beauty remain alive in an age where machines produce images and ideas?

Aesthetics in the Digital Age

With the development of digital technology and the widespread use of the internet and social media, aesthetics has entered a new phase. Art is no longer confined to traditional media; digital art, virtual reality, and interactive video have become integral to the artistic field.

The definition of beauty and how it is perceived is changing. The audience can now participate in the creative process through direct interaction with the artwork or even its production. New dimensions of beauty have emerged—such as virtual beauty and multisensory aesthetic experiences—which challenge classical concepts.

For example, virtual reality art allows viewers to fully immerse themselves in a 3D artistic world, expanding the scope of the aesthetic experience. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok provide spaces for digital works to interact with a global audience in real time.

In the digital era, taste and aesthetics are rapidly shaped by global trends, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish “true beauty” from fleeting phenomena. This transformation opens new philosophical debates about the nature of art and beauty in an age where technology merges with human sensitivity.

In the labyrinth of changing time, beauty remains the sail of the soul and the heartbeat of the heart, immeasurable in its constancy and never confined to a single mold.

It is the secret of being, hidden in the shadows of words and the colors of light, tinged with new hues with each pulse of the digital age and every whisper of a culture born from the depths of humanity.

Aesthetics, this eternal journey, invites us to paint with our eyes an infinite horizon, where idea meets emotion, truth meets imagination, tradition blends with renewal, and every aesthetic experience becomes a poem telling the story of man with the world, with himself, and with a future that never stops creating and renewing itself.

In the end, beauty remains that silent language that speaks to our hearts, weaving in us the hope of connection—a never-ending story, a vision reborn every time man meets the dream.

Read: Music – The Language of Humanity

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Souad Khalil is a Libyan writer, poet, and translator. She has been writing on culture, literature and other general topics.