The concept of “authenticity”-encompassing notions of “the original,” “the real,” sincerity, validity-is notoriously freighted and widely problematized.

Nonetheless, it presents ambiguities that offer a highly productive departure point for analysis of the cultural shifts in our post-digital society. Digital technology is embedded in our personal relationships, in labor conditions and in aesthetic practices. What does this fact mean for the “authentic”?

This book gathers various thinkers who explore the meaning of authenticity today-not just in terms of art and art-making, but in every single nook of contemporary life, from the intimate to the public. The contributors are Erika Balsom, Franco “Bifo” Berardi, Mat Dryhurst, Jazmina Figueroa, Holly Herndon, Rob Horning, David Joselit, Oliver Laric, Timotheus Vermeulen, Beny Wagner and McKenzie Wark.