With both humor and funerals, Liv Strömquist talks about how the view of beauty has changed, from the sisters Lea and Rakel in the Old Testament, to Kim Kardashian and today's influencers.

A central figure in Inside the Mirror Hall is the Austrian Empress Sissi, who lived in the 19th century and was considered a real beauty.

She devoted almost her entire life to various diets and exercise, in order to maintain the image of herself as beautiful and slim.

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At the time, it was thought that her lifestyle was eccentric, but today there are many similarities with our beauty ideals.

Many of us work out in the gym, thinking about what we eat and what we look like

- In a way, she was actually very similar to us, how we are now, says Liv Strömquist in the interview with SVT Babel.

Liv Strömquist says that she got the idea for the comic book novel during a period when she spent a lot of time on social media.

Then she became aware of how much of our lives we spend looking at other people's pictures.

And we, in turn, share pictures of ourselves that others can look at.

Liv Strömquist points out that with the help of one of our mobile cameras it is easier than ever to photograph oneself and one's life.

In mobile phones, we can also edit and retouch the images, and create perfect versions of ourselves.

Obsessed with beauty

Technological development has changed our social relationships in a way that is not yet clear, says the series creator.

- Only 15 years ago, you had a camera with which you took pictures and then you developed the photographs and pasted them all into an album - regardless of whether you closed your eyes or had red eyes on the pictures, says Liv Strömquist.

Our time's obsession with beauty means that we are constantly aware of our appearance - and thus also influenced by our own, examining gaze on ourselves.

It is only when we forget our appearance and instead become engrossed in something else, that beauty can really shine through.

- People become beautiful when they do not think about their appearance, when they forget themselves, says Liv Strömquist.

See the full interview in Babel here.