Robin van den Akker is a Dutch cultural theorist and philosopher best known for co-developing the concept of metamodernism, a framework describing the oscillation between modern enthusiasm and postmodern irony in contemporary culture. As a co-author, together with Timotheus Vermeulen, of the seminal 2010 essay Notes on Metamodernism, van den Akker helped articulate the sensibility underlying 21st-century art, literature, and philosophy—a mood characterized by sincerity tempered by doubt, hope intertwined with irony, and a renewed search for meaning after postmodern fragmentation. His work bridges aesthetic theory, cultural history, and social philosophy, positioning metamodernism as both a diagnosis of the present and a proposal for a new cultural paradigm.

Early Life and Education

Robin van den Akker
Institutions	Erasmus University Rotterdam
Main works	Notes on Metamodernism; Metamodernism: Historicity, Affect, and Depth after Postmodernism
Collaborators	Timotheus Vermeulen; Alison Gibbons
Known for	Co-developing metamodernism
Fields	Aesthetics; cultural theory
Notable ideas	Metamodernism; oscillation between modernism and postmodernism
Occupation	Cultural theorist
Wikidata	Q2245845

Robin van den Akker (often spelled R. van den Akker) is a Dutch cultural philosopher whose exact birth date is not publicly listed. He studied in his native Netherlands, completing a BA in Social History and MAs in Media & Journalism and in Philosophy at Erasmus University Rotterdam He then went to the UK for graduate studies, earning an MPhil (with distinction) in Cultural Inquiry at the University of Birmingham. Van den Akker returned to Erasmus University for doctoral research, completing in 2018 a PhD dissertation titled The Social Production of Hybrid Space. In that work he used Marxist theorist Henri Lefebvre as a framework to analyze how smartphones and location-based media create a new “hybrid space” – intertwining the physical city and digital networks – via four case studies (including locative media art, Foursquare, dating apps, and social media use) This project underscored his long-term interest in how technology reshapes everyday life and public space.

Career and Major Works

Van den Akker is currently Senior Lecturer in Continental Philosophy and Cultural Studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam and Erasmus University College (Rotterdam), and a guest researcher at TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research) Over the past decade he has built an international profile as a theorist of contemporary culture. In 2009 he co-founded (with Timotheus Vermeulen) the web magazine Notes on Metamodernism – an interdisciplinary, transnational journal that ran through 2016 This site featured essays by about fifty critics and theorists on trends in art, architecture, music, literature, film and digital culture. Its stated aim was to document “developments in twenty-first century culture” that could no longer be explained by postmodern theory. The site and its co-editors, including van den Akker, helped popularize metamodernism as a new vocabulary for post-postmodern art and ideas. Van den Akker co-edited the 2017 anthology Metamodernism: Historicity, Affect, and Depth after Postmodernism (Radical Cultural Studies, Rowman & Littlefield), which collects key essays on the topic He has also published widely in academic journals (for example in the Journal of Aesthetics & Culture) and contributed essays to art magazines and newspapers (such as Frieze, ArtPulse, Monu and De Groene Amsterdammer). In the Netherlands he joined the “Philosophical Eleven” (“Het Filosofisch Elftal”) writing a weekly column for the major daily Trouw on topics ranging from economics to technology (often collaborating with other philosophers) These varied activities – academic writing, editing, public commentary and advising on art exhibitions – reflect his wide-ranging engagement with contemporary aesthetics and culture.

Metamodernism and Cultural Theory

Van den Akker’s best-known contribution is to the theory of metamodernism, a concept he developed with Timotheus Vermeulen. Together they argued that by the early 2000s a new cultural “structure of feeling” had emerged, one that oscillated between modernist and postmodern attitudes Rather than a steady state, van den Akker describes culture in the 21st century as a kind of pendulum swing (or dialectical tension) between seemingly opposed modes. In their influential 2010 essay “Notes on Metamodernism”, Vermeulen and van den Akker explicitly define metamodernism as “oscillating between a modern enthusiasm and a postmodern irony” In other words, metamodern art and ideas often combine sincerity, hope or (quasi)utopian commitment (traits associated with modernism) with a layer of skeptical distance or self-awareness (traits of postmodernism). Van den Akker emphasizes that this is not a short-lived fad but a broader sensibility that follows postmodernism as the dominant cultural logic. He often uses the term “structure of feeling” (borrowed from Raymond Williams) to suggest that metamodernism is felt collectively even if it lacks a formal manifesto.

Metamodernism, as van den Akker and colleagues argue, grew out of the crises of the late 20th and early 21st centuries – economic crashes, ecological threats, political fragmentation – which left large numbers of people craving meaning and change. Thus it brings back elements of sincerity, depth, ethics and authenticity that postmodernism had problematized Van den Akker notes that after the 2008 financial meltdown and the collapse of many liberal political assumptions, art and media often turned toward big narratives, historical themes and political engagement. Yet this turn toward earnestness is never complete or naïve; it is tempered by irony and reflexivity. Metamodernism is “inbetweenness” – literally derived from the Greek metaxy – meaning it exists with and between older paradigms. The prefix “meta” thus carries a tripartite sense: with/among, beyond, and between postmodern and modern, simultaneously in tension and transition As a result, van den Akker sees metamodernism not as a single style or movement, but as a set of interrelated tendencies in art, film, literature and theory.

Beyond coining metamodernism, van den Akker has explored its implications for aesthetics and culture. In essays like “Metamodern Historicity” he examines how narratives of history are being reinterpreted, and in collaborations (with Alison Gibbons and others) he has traced metamodern patterns in contemporary film, fiction and architecture. He has linked metamodern themes to movements such as New Romanticism (an artistic return to subjectivity and myth), iterative pop styles, and the revival of utopian thinking. His analysis often highlights how new technologies (social media, virtual reality, etc.) and political trends (rise of populism, activism like Occupy) intersect with this changing “structure of feeling” In short, van den Akker’s major intellectual project is mapping and interpreting the cultural shift away from late-20th century postmodern fragmentation toward something both forward-looking and reflective.

Method and Approach

Van den Akker’s work is interdisciplinary and exploratory. He describes his approach as intentionally “essayistic” rather than scientific, rhizomatic rather than linear In practice, this means he does not start with a rigid theory but gathers examples across disciplines (art, media, politics) to outline broad patterns. Case studies and cultural examples play a key role in his research. For instance, his doctoral work on hybrid space relied on qualitative case studies of GPS-driven apps and art projects to understand their social impact Similarly, his metamodernism theory draws on concrete artists (Bas Jan Ader, Kaye Donachie, filmmakers like Michel Gondry) and events (economic crises, political movements) as data points. This open-ended style invites debate rather than closure, reflecting his belief that understanding current culture requires flexibility. He often collaborates with colleagues and curators (e.g. helping organize the “Discussing Metamodernism” exhibition in Berlin) to test ideas across theory and practice Van den Akker also bridges academic and public discourse: he publishes in scholarly journals and writes for general audiences in newspapers and magazines. This dual mode allows him to apply cultural theory to real-world phenomena and to introduce academic ideas into broader conversations.

Influence and Roles

Through his writing and teaching, van den Akker has become a key figure in the “post-postmodern” discourse. The term “metamodernism” (for which he is co-originator) has gained international currency: it appears in exhibitions, university courses, and art criticism worldwide. For example, museums like New York’s MAD and events like the Moscow Biennial have showcased metamodernist themes, often citing the movement’s founders. Within academia, the Metamodernism: Historicity, Affect, and Depth anthology he co-edited is used as a reference for scholars of contemporary literature, art and cultural studies The Notes on Metamodernism webzine he co-founded has been cited globally and indexed in research libraries, reflecting its role in networking thinkers His ideas have influenced thinkers who analyze how we cope with digital media, ecological anxiety, and political upheaval. As a columnist and speaker, he has also shaped Dutch public debate on technology and ethics: for instance, his 2011 article in the Dutch press describing the Occupy movement as a “wiki-protest” was widely noted. His recent research on topics like populism, smart cities and social media continues to draw on his cultural-theory lens. In sum, van den Akker has been influential as both a theorist (especially of metamodernism) and a public intellectual linking cultural trends to social issues.

Critiques and Debates

Metamodernism, like any broad cultural label, has its critics, and van den Akker’s own work has been discussed and challenged. Some scholars worry that “post-postmodern” terms risk being too vague or repetitive, rebranding familiar ideas. In response, van den Akker emphasizes that he does not claim a closed doctrine – as he wrote, their account of metamodernism was meant as an “invitation for debate rather than an extending of a dogma” He acknowledges in later writings that his first essay on metamodernism was inevitably “flawed… misguided in some of its assessments and incomplete (and perhaps too hasty) in its theorization” In other words, he has openly admitted that the early map of metamodernism needed refinement. This self-critique suggests he sees metamodernism as work in progress.

Scholars have also pointed out that while oscillation is a useful metaphor, it may not capture all aspects of new culture. For example, some writers (like Greg Dember) argue that simply saying things swing back and forth might miss deeper structures – though they often still find van den Akker’s insight central. Internet commentators and academics have debated whether metamodernism is generational or global, ethical or merely aesthetic. Van den Akker has engaged with such critiques in interviews and public forums, clarifying that metamodernism is not just an art style but tied to political economy (rise of populism, austerity) and everyday experience In the Dutch press, his analysis of movements like Occupy (as open-source activism) drew some rebuttals (for example on the nature of open source), which he has addressed by further discussing collective action. Overall, van den Akker welcomes the conversation; he has written that once one’s words are public, others will take them in various directions, and he encourages others to build on or contest the metamodern framework.

Legacy and Continuing Impact

Robin van den Akker is still an active scholar, but his contributions have already set a mark on cultural theory. The notion of metamodernism that he helped coin has become one of the key “post-postmodern” lenses used by critics and artists to interpret 21st-century culture. Concepts he has advanced – such as the metaxis of being “between” modernism and postmodernism or the importance of hope, narrative and affect in today’s art – have enriched discussions in aesthetics and media studies. The edited volume he helped curate and the Notes on Metamodernism site will remain reference points for those studying this shift. His work on digital culture and urban space likewise contributes to how future scholars think about technology and society. While it is too early to fully assess his long-term legacy, van den Akker’s role as a bridge between academic cultural theory and contemporary art/tech communities suggests he will be regarded as a pioneer of the metamodernist perspective. If the metamodern “structure of feeling” endures as a useful idea, his name will be tied to it as one of its originators.

Selected Works

Vermeulen, Timotheus & van den Akker, Robin (2010). Notes on Metamodernism. Journal of Aesthetics & Culture, 2(1), Article 5677.
Gibbons, Alison, van den Akker, Robin & Vermeulen, Timotheus (eds.) (2017). Metamodernism: Historicity, Affect, and Depth after Postmodernism. London: Rowman & Littlefield.
van den Akker, Robin (2018). The Social Production of Hybrid Space. PhD dissertation, Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Various essays and columns by van den Akker in Trouw, J.Aesthetics & Culture, Frieze, Monu, De Groene Amsterdammer, etc., including pieces like “Metamodern Historicity,” “Periodising the 2000s: The emergence of metamodernism,” and public commentaries on technology and society.