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Metamodernism is the term for a cultural discourse and paradigm that has emerged after postmodernism. It refers to new forms of contemporary art and theory that respond to modernism and postmodernism and integrate aspects of both together. Metamodernism reflects an oscillation between, or synthesis of, different “cultural logics” such as modern idealism and postmodern skepticism, modern sincerity and postmodern irony, and other seemingly opposed concepts.
Philosophically, metamodern advocates agree with many postmodern critiques of modernism (for example, highlighting gender inequality); however, they often contend that postmodern deconstruction and critical analytic strategies fall short in facilitating desired resolutions. Metamodern scholarship initially focused on interpreting art in this vein and established a foundation for the field, particularly through observing the growing blend of irony and sincerity (or post-irony) in society. Later authors have explored metamodernism in other disciplines as well, with many frequently drawing on integral theory in their approach.

The term “metamodern” first appeared as early as 1975, when scholar Mas’ud Zavarzadeh used it to describe emerging American literature from the mid-1950s, and later notably in 1999 when Moyo Okediji applied the term to contemporary African-American art as an “extension of and challenge to modernism and postmodernism.” It wasn’t until Vermeulen and van den Akker’s 2010 essay “Notes on Metamodernism” that the subject garnered broader attention within academia.