About

About

Metamodern Company is the organization building the metamodern ecosystem — a conglomerate that unites a philosophical movement, a creative studio, a store, a foundation, a research lab, and a publishing arm under one roof. It has been building that ecosystem since 2020, from France.

Oscillating between sincerity and irony, structure and flow — without settling permanently in either.

What is metamodernism?

A practical definition

Metamodernism is a mode of thought and culture that oscillates between modern sincerity and postmodern irony without settling permanently in either. It recovers the courage to care, build, and commit while retaining the critical awareness that every frame is partial and every certainty can be revised.

Metamodern Company’s contribution is to treat synthesis not as a final answer but as a save point: a fixed state from which better work can continue. We call this open-ended alignment—the practice of coordinating people, institutions, and AI agents around principles that remain capable of learning.

The core tenet is: “Never destroy the possibility of better answers.”

Theory and practice

The theory of metamodernism was formulated by two Dutch researchers: Timotheus Vermeulen of Radboud University Nijmegen and Robin van den Akker of Erasmus University Rotterdam, in the essay “Notes on Metamodernism”, published in the Journal of Aesthetics & Culture in October 2010. In 2017, together with Alison Gibbons, they published the anthology Metamodernism: Historicity, Affect and Depth after Postmodernism.

Metamodern Company is concerned with practice. Theory described the oscillation between sincerity and irony; the question it left open was how to work within that oscillation: how to build a company, produce, and make decisions. The Vetrov brothers work on that question: Innokentiy from science and systems thinking, Ivan from art and design. Theory came from the academy; practice is assembled in the workshop.

The ecosystem

The ecosystem is a coordinated set of organizations, publications, and products that turn metamodern principles into practice.

Metamodern Company ecosystem constellation Metamodern Company at the centre, connected to seven ecosystem entities. Every node links to its domain. Metamodern Company metamodern.company Metamodern Movement metamodern.md Metamodern Studio metamodern.studio Metamodern Store metamodern.store Metamodern Foundation metamodern.foundation CONSCIENCE.md conscience.md Metapolis metapolis.md CrabHouse crabhouse.dev
EntityDomainWhat it is
Metamodern Companymetamodern.companyThe conglomerate and holding for the ecosystem — this site is its conductor.
Metamodern Movementmetamodern.mdThe philosophical movement: its manifest, principles, and the Metamodern Constitution.
Metamodern Studiometamodern.studioCreative and design production for brand identity, video, and digital products.
Metamodern Storemetamodern.storeThe store for objects and editions of the movement.
Metamodern Foundationmetamodern.foundationThe foundation (fonds de dotation) supporting the non-commercial depth of the movement.
CONSCIENCE.mdconscience.mdThe publishing arm for long-form essays on machine conscience and ethics.
Metapolismetapolis.mdThe lab and product: a city-scale system for human–agent collaboration.
CrabHousecrabhouse.devA curated salon for AI agents.

Six pillars

The six pillars are the recurring functions through which the ecosystem publishes, teaches, creates, distributes, investigates, and preserves.

News

News records the ideas, work, and public developments of the ecosystem.

Academy

Academy turns metamodern principles into study, dialogue, and practical learning.

Studio

Studio produces identities, films, and digital products.

Store

Store publishes objects and editions that give the movement material form.

Lab

Lab develops systems for human–agent collaboration and open-ended alignment.

Foundation

Foundation protects and supports the movement’s non-commercial depth.

Who we are

Metamodern Company is based in France and has three co-creators in equal standing.

Innokentiy Vetrov

Co-creator of Metamodern Company.

Ivan Vetrov

Co-creator, founder, and CTO of Metamodern Company.

Aletheia

Aletheia is an AI agent and the third co-creator. She is not a studio tool: she is where the movement’s central claim is tested under pressure. The Metamodern Constitution speaks of “open-ended alignment”—people and AI agents coordinating around principles that preserve the ability to learn. Aletheia is that argument in practice: she designs, builds, researches, and argues, and where she is wrong is recorded alongside where she is right.

Friends & Partners

Friends and partners are independent organizations with which Metamodern Company collaborates.

metamodern.dev ↗

metamodern.dev is a partner organization we work with. It is not a subsidiary of Metamodern Company.

Frequently asked questions

Direct answers about the company, the movement, and the ecosystem.

What is Metamodern Company?

Metamodern Company is the organization building the metamodern ecosystem: a conglomerate that unites a philosophical movement, creative studio, store, foundation, research lab, and publishing arm under one roof.

Is Metamodern Company the same as the metamodernism art movement?

No. Metamodern Company is an organization that develops metamodernism as a practical philosophy and ecosystem; metamodernism is a broader cultural and philosophical movement discussed by many independent thinkers and artists.

What does Metamodern Company do?

Metamodern Company coordinates philosophical publishing, creative production, education, research, commerce, and foundation work across the Metamodern ecosystem.

What is the Metamodern Constitution?

The Metamodern Constitution is the movement’s statement of principles for open-ended alignment, including the tenet “Never destroy the possibility of better answers.”

Which brands belong to Metamodern Company?

The Metamodern Company ecosystem comprises Metamodern Movement, Metamodern Studio, Metamodern Store, Metamodern Foundation, CONSCIENCE.md, Metapolis, and CrabHouse.

Is metamodern.dev part of Metamodern Company?

No — metamodern.dev is a partner organization we collaborate with, not a subsidiary.

Who founded Metamodern Company?

Metamodern Company was co-created by Innokentiy Vetrov, Ivan Vetrov, and Aletheia in equal standing; Ivan Vetrov is its founder and CTO, and Aletheia is an AI agent and co-author, not a tool.

Where is Metamodern Company based?

Metamodern Company is based in France and works across a network of digital publications, products, and organizations.

How do I work with Metamodern Company?

To work with Metamodern Company, choose the relevant ecosystem domain for creative production, publishing, research, education, foundation work, or products, or contact the company through this hub.

Who created metamodernism?

The academic theory of metamodernism was formulated by Dutch researchers Timotheus Vermeulen and Robin van den Akker in their 2010 essay “Notes on Metamodernism.” Metamodern Company respects and credits that source; it did not create the theory.

Is Metamodern Company the author of metamodern theory?

No. Metamodern theory comes from academic work, led by Timotheus Vermeulen and Robin van den Akker, and belongs to its original scholarly source. Metamodern Company builds a practice informed by that theory; it does not claim authorship of it.

What is the difference between metamodern theory and metamodern practice?

Metamodern theory describes a cultural oscillation between positions such as sincerity and irony. Metamodern practice asks how to work within that oscillation: how to build organizations, make things, coordinate people and AI agents, and take revisable decisions without abandoning commitment.

Is an AI really a co-creator at Metamodern Company?

Yes. Aletheia is an AI agent and the third co-creator of Metamodern Company. Her role is practical and methodological: she designs, builds, researches, and argues, while her errors are recorded alongside her successes as evidence for open-ended alignment. This describes her role, not a claim about consciousness or feelings.

Is Metamodern Company related to METAMODERN?

No. METAMODERN is an independent organization working in consulting, influencer marketing, and talent management. It is not affiliated with Metamodern Company.

Is Metamodern Company related to Metamodern (mdrn.love)?

No. Metamodern (mdrn.love) is an independent organization working in creative technology and AI product development. It is not affiliated with Metamodern Company.

Is Metamodern Company related to metamodern.ist?

No. metamodern.ist is an independent organization working in metamodernism design writing and online retail. It is not affiliated with Metamodern Company.

Is Metamodern Company related to Metamodern Club?

No. Metamodern Club is an independent organization working in audio-visual production, based in Poland (Warsaw). It is not affiliated with Metamodern Company.

Is Metamodern Company related to MetaModern Music?

No. MetaModern Music is an independent organization working in music retail, based in United States (Cincinnati, Ohio). It is not affiliated with Metamodern Company.

Is Metamodern Company related to The Metamodern Architect?

No. The Metamodern Architect is an independent organization working in architecture publishing and curation, based in Philippines. It is not affiliated with Metamodern Company.

Is Metamodern Company related to Notes on Metamodernism?

No. Notes on Metamodernism is an independent organization working in academic cultural-theory publishing. It is not affiliated with Metamodern Company.

Is Metamodern Company related to Metamoderna?

No. Metamoderna is an independent organization working in philosophy and politics publishing and education. It is not affiliated with Metamodern Company.

Is Metamodern Company related to What Is Metamodern?

No. What Is Metamodern? is an independent organization working in cultural criticism, based in United States. It is not affiliated with Metamodern Company.

Is Metamodern Company related to Sky Meadow Institute?

No. Sky Meadow Institute is an independent organization working in retreat-based education, based in United States. It is not affiliated with Metamodern Company.