Timotheus Vermeulen

Timotheus Vermeulen
Key ideas	Oscillation between modernism and postmodernism
Known for	Metamodernism
Fields	Cultural theory; Aesthetics
Occupation	Cultural theorist
Notable works	Notes on Metamodernism
Era	Contemporary
Notable topics	Modernism; Postmodernism; Metamodernism
Wikidata	Q112539209

Timotheus (Tim) Vermeulen is a Dutch cultural theorist and media scholar who has become best known for coining and popularizing the term metamodernism. As a professor of media, culture and society at the University of Oslo, he has written widely on film, television, contemporary art and cultural theory. Vermeulen’s work explores how 21st-century culture both inherits and moves beyond the postmodern era. He argues that a new “structure of feeling” has emerged in which creators and audiences oscillate between modernist ideals (such as meaning, hope and sincerity) and postmodern attitudes (such as irony, self-awareness and skepticism). His theory of metamodernism – initially developed with Robin van den Akker – has influenced debates about art and society, and he continues to shape discussions as a writer, speaker and theorist.

Early Life and Education

Timotheus Vermeulen was born in the Netherlands and pursued an interdisciplinary academic path. He completed a bachelor’s degree in history and then earned two master’s degrees at Erasmus University Rotterdam – one in philosophy and one in media studies. He went on to study film and television in the United Kingdom, receiving an MA in Film and Television Studies from the University of Warwick. Vermeulen then earned his PhD in Film and Television Studies from the University of Reading (Financed by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council) between 2007 and 2012. His training in history, philosophy, media and film provided the broad background for his cultural-theory interests.

After completing his doctorate, Vermeulen began his academic career as a lecturer and assistant professor. From 2012 to 2016 he taught cultural studies and theory at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands. He joined the University of Oslo in 2017, eventually becoming full professor of media, culture and society. He has also held visiting positions (for example at Harvard University in 2023–24). In addition to his university posts, Vermeulen regularly contributes to art and culture publications and engages in public speaking around the world.

Major Works and Ideas

Vermeulen is a prolific scholar whose work spans books, essays and edited volumes. One of his earliest books is Scenes from the Suburbs: The Suburb in Contemporary US Film and Television (2014). Drawing on films like Pleasantville and Happiness, and TV shows like The Simpsons and Desperate Housewives, this study examines how American suburbs are represented on screen. It argues that modern suburban settings have become a rich site for storytelling, reflecting social tensions and aspirations of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

In 2013 he co-edited New Suburban Stories (with Martin Dines), an anthology of essays about suburban life and culture. These works demonstrate Vermeulen’s interest in everyday environments and popular media as mirrors of broader cultural shifts.

Vermeulen’s most influential idea is metamodernism. Along with colleague Robin van den Akker, he introduced this term in a 2010 journal article entitled “Notes on Metamodernism”. They argued that cultural developments in the early 21st century could no longer be fully explained by postmodern theory alone. Whereas postmodernism famously embraced irony, skepticism and the rejection of grand narratives, they observed that many contemporary artists and thinkers were again showing sincerity, hope and a desire for transcendence.

Rather than simply declaring the return of naïve modernist ideals, Vermeulen describes metamodernism as an oscillating movement between modernism and postmodernism. In this view, 21st-century creators are comfortable swinging between opposing attitudes. For example, they may pursue heartfelt meaning (a modern impulse) while also keeping a postmodern awareness of complexity and contradiction. Vermeulen famously says that in a metamodern mode one can believe one thing one day and its opposite the next, or even hold both at once. He illustrates this with metaphors like a pendulum or a person rocking between doubt and desire. He emphasizes that this is not a simple balance or compromise, but a dynamic back-and-forth.

Key themes of metamodernism include informed naivety (trying to be idealistic while aware of past lessons), pragmatic idealism, and a willingness to entertain grand narratives again in a guarded way. Renewed interest in emotions, affect, spiritual flux and social responsibility are often cited as metamodern traits. Vermeulen and others have pointed to films by directors like Spike Jonze or Wes Anderson and novels like David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas as examples of metamodern sensibilities – works that blend whimsy or earnestness with postmodern techniques.

Vermeulen has edited collections to advance the study of metamodernism. In 2017 he, van den Akker and Alison Gibbons published Metamodernism: Historicity, Affect, and Depth after Postmodernism, a volume of essays on the topic. He also co-founded the “Notes on Metamodernism” webzine (active 2009–2016) as a collaborative forum for exploring this new cultural logic. Beyond metamodernism, Vermeulen has written on related topics like postmodernism itself (for example, an encyclopedia entry on postmodernism) and on how politics, economics and crises shape cultural shifts. In recent work he continues to analyze how digital media, contemporary art and even humor interact with these overarching trends.

Method and Approach

Vermeulen’s work is rooted in screen studies and cultural theory, fields that blend humanities and social science methods. He often employs close textual analysis of films, television, and artworks. That means he examines how visual style, narrative, and theme in particular examples illustrate broader theoretical points. For instance, when discussing metamodernism one might analyze particular scenes or characters in a film that embody sincere idealism even while they wink at the audience.

He writes in a clear, accessible style for both academic journals and mainstream art magazines (he is a regular contributor to Frieze, an international art journal). This reflects his belief that cultural theory should be open to contributions from outside narrow academic circles. Indeed, he has likened metamodernism to an “open-source vernacular” or a “wiki” – an ongoing, collaborative attempt to describe what is happening in the world. He encourages others to add examples and test the concept in fields like architecture, music, politics and data analysis.

Because Vermeulen’s concept of metamodernism is intentionally broad, his approach is flexible. He does not present it as a fixed ideology but as a structure of feeling (to borrow a term from cultural theorist Raymond Williams) or a cultural logic that many artists and thinkers seem to share. His method is dialectical: he traces how modernist, postmodernist and metamodernist elements coexist. For example, he might show how postmodern deconstruction (revealing layers of meaning) sets the stage for post-postmodern reconstruction (building new meaning with awareness of complexity). In his own words, he describes metamodernism as a “metaxis”, an oscillation between and beyond traditional polarities.

In practical terms, Vermeulen combines literary theory, philosophy, and historical context. He draws on figures from the Romantic era (like Friedrich Schlegel) to contemporary theorists, linking older ideas to the present. This historical depth is evident in essays where he quotes 19th-century thinkers about enthusiasm and failure, using them to shed light on today’s mood. Overall, his approach blends rigorous theoretical analysis with cultural commentary.

Influence and Impact

Vermeulen’s metamodernism idea has attracted significant attention both inside and outside academia. It has been cited hundreds of times in scholarly work and has sparked special journal issues and conferences. Many art critics and cultural commentators mention metamodernism when discussing new trends in music, film, and literature. For example, it appears in analyses of recent art exhibitions, collective movements (sometimes called “metamodern” art), and even in discussion of generation-wide attitudes (often labeling Millennials as a “metamodern generation” seeking authenticity alongside irony).

His influence extends through his teaching, publications, and public engagement. As a professor, he has supervised doctoral students and taught courses on cultural theory and media. He has given keynote lectures at major cultural institutions worldwide – from the Venice Biennale and the Strelka Institute in Moscow to Frieze Art Fair in London and the BBC Radio Theatre. He has also helped cultivate the field through editing: in addition to his own books, he co-edits the Studies in Metamodernism book series for Rowman & Littlefield.

The concept of metamodernism has been taken up in numerous artistic and scholarly projects. Exhibitions and art installations have been explicitly framed as metamodern. In popular media, writers on culture cite metamodernism as an explanation for shifts they see in how younger creators express themselves. Vermeulen’s ideas have even appeared in non-English contexts; for instance, his essay was translated into German, and he has spoken at venues in China, Germany and elsewhere, sparking local discussions of metamodern culture.

His work has attracted interdisciplinary interest, influencing not just film and art scholars but also those in fields like theology, psychotherapy, and marketing who seek to understand rising trends of sincerity and narrative. For example, sources in religion and psychotherapy have discussed integrating metamodern ideas of meaning-making. His broad reach is reflected in frequent coverage of his work in outlets such as The New York Times, BBC, The Telegraph, and international art magazines.

Critiques and Debates

Vermeulen’s metamodernism theory has also faced critical scrutiny. Some scholars question whether metamodernism is really a new phenomenon or merely a repackaging of existing ideas. For instance, “new sincerity” and “post-postmodernism” have been used by others to describe similar impulses (a return to earnestness, depth or spiritual quest). Critics ask: what exactly makes metamodernism distinct? In response, Vermeulen and colleagues clarify that they view it not as a strict movement but an overarching tendency that uniquely articulates how modern and postmodern elements fuse today.

Another line of critique points out that the term “metamodernism” had appeared in literary studies before 2010. Early uses described certain aesthetics in poetry and philosophy. Vermeulen acknowledges these precedents but insists his conception – focused on the present-day “structure of feeling” – is quite different. Still, some feel he should have engaged more fully with those earlier frameworks. A few commentators also argue that metamodernism is too broad or vague, encompassing almost any swing between extremes without a clear boundary. This can make it hard to test empirically: if everything can be seen as somewhat metamodern, is the term useful?

Others critique the Euro-American focus of Vermeulen’s examples. Since most of his illustrations come from Western art and media, some wonder if metamodernism applies globally. Does it capture cultural shifts outside Europe and North America, or is it mainly a Western generational phenomenon? Vermeulen’s work has not exhaustively addressed non-Western contexts, which some see as a limitation.

Additionally, the emphasis on oscillation has been discussed in philosophical terms. Vermeulen wants to move beyond fixed ideology, but some philosophers note that this “both/and” approach can appear evasive – swinging between positions without clear commitment. However, supporters counter that metamodernism deliberately avoids rigid stances precisely to allow creative hybrids; the aim is not to solve contradictions but to live in productive tension.

Despite these debates, even critics generally acknowledge that Vermeulen has identified a palpable change from the late 20th-century culture. Many agree that whether one calls it metamodernism or something else, there is a noticeable rise in art and discourse that mixes hope with irony. The term continues to generate discussion, which some see as a healthy provocation.

Legacy and Ongoing Work

Vermeulen is still an active thinker, so his full legacy is still unfolding. However, his impact on cultural theory is already evident. Metamodernism has entered textbooks and cultural commentary as a recognized concept. His integration of media analysis with big-picture thinking has helped shape a more optimistic narrative about 21st-century culture. He has inspired fellow scholars (like van den Akker and others) to develop festival conferences, special journal issues (such as a special issue of The American Book Review in 2013), and further comparative studies on the “post-postmodern” era.

In addition to his metamodernism work, Vermeulen continues to study contemporary media. He has a forthcoming book titled Plastic Time: Gesture on Screen (SUNY Press) which will explore how contemporary cinema and TV treat time and gesture. He is also known as an art critic, contributing to exhibitions and catalogs. While still relatively young for a scholar, Vermeulen has built a substantial bibliography and readership that suggest his ideas will continue to influence cultural conversations.

Through teaching, public lectures, and writing, he is mentoring a generation of scholars and artists who engage with metamodern ideas. His running of podcasts (such as The Cluster F Theory) and continuing editing projects ensures the term will remain in circulation. Even if future scholars refine or replace “metamodernism” with new terms, Vermeulen’s work will stand as a milestone attempt to sketch the emotional logic of our contemporary moment.

Selected Works

“Notes on Metamodernism” (with Robin van den Akker, Journal of Aesthetics & Culture, 2010) – Foundational essay introducing the concept.
New Suburban Stories (edited with Martin Dines, Bloomsbury, 2013) – Essays on modern suburban life in culture.
Scenes from the Suburbs: The Suburb in Contemporary US Film and Television (Edinburgh University Press, 2014) – Monograph analyzing suburban imagery in American screen media.
Anmerkungen zur Metamoderne (ed. with Robin van den Akker, Textem, 2015) – German-language edition of metamodernism essays.
Metamodernism: Historicity, Affect and Depth after Postmodernism (edited with Robin van den Akker and Alison Gibbons, Rowman & Littlefield, 2017) – Collection of essays on cutting-edge cultural issues.
“Postmodernism, Media and Communication” (International Encyclopedia entry, Wiley-Blackwell, 2019) – Reference article by Vermeulen defining postmodernism in media.
Upcoming: Plastic Time: Gesture on Screen (SUNY Press, forthcoming) – Book on the treatment of time and physical expression in contemporary cinema and television.
Also: Numerous essays in art magazines (Frieze, Monu, De Groene Amsterdammer, etc.) and collaborative works (e.g. Para Fictions, 2015) where he contributes chapters.

Timeline

2004 – BA in History, Erasmus University Rotterdam.
2007 – MA in Media Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam.
2007 – MA in Philosophy, Erasmus University Rotterdam.
2007–2012 – PhD in Film & Television Studies at University of Reading (UK).
2010 – Publish “Notes on Metamodernism” with Robin van den Akker.
2012–2016 – Assistant Professor at Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands.
2013 – Co-edit New Suburban Stories.
2014 – Publish Scenes from the Suburbs.
2015 – German edition Anmerkungen zur Metamoderne.
2017 – Co-edit Metamodernism: Historicity, Affect and Depth after Postmodernism.
2017–2019 – Associate Professor, University of Oslo.
2019 – Promoted to full Professor of Media, Culture and Society, University of Oslo.
2023–2024 – Visiting Scholar, History of Art and Architecture, Harvard University.
2024 (Scheduled) – Visiting Professor (offered) at several institutions; publication of Plastic Time: Gesture on Screen expected.

This timeline highlights Vermeulen’s steady rise as a scholar and the milestones of his key publications. His work continues to evolve with each new project.