Reality or fiction? This book takes a closer look at the growing genre of fictional artistry in the age of AI, fake news and deepfake video, bringing together some 80 artworks from the 1960s to today.

In the time of artificial intelligence, fake news, and deepfake videos, today, more than ever, we are confronted on a broader social level with the need to distinguish reality from fiction in a critical way. But instead of strictly separating delusion and fact, some artists allow both to coexist at the same time through a fictional alias. This book takes a closer look at the growing genre of fictional artistry, probing such practices from the 1960s on in Belgium and beyond within the Western art world. Essays and biographical contributions on fictional artists point out the different strategies in fictionality used by these artists, the context behind them that helps determine how fiction is used and why.

Artists: Eleanora Antinova, Jakup Auce, Mary Aurory, Bernadette Corporation, Vern Blosum, Deborah Bowmann, Roberta Breitmore, The Bruce High Quality Foundation, Yoon-Ja Choi & Paul Devautour, Henry Codax, John Doe Company, John Dogg, Aston Ernest, Emily Feather, Claire Fontaine, Lucie Fontaine, Justine Frank, Irwin Green, Florence Hasard, Janez JanSa Janez JanSa Janez JanSa, Jim Jilborn, Alfred Johansen, Leo Josefstein, Darko Maver, Brian O'Doherty, N.V. Panneel, Oksana Pasaiko, Puppies Puppies (Jade Guanaro Kuriki-Olivo), Charles Rosenthal, Herman Smit, readymades belong to everyone ®, Reena Spaulings, Santo Sterne, Ernest T., Philippe Thomas, Suha Traboulsi, Hubert Van Es, Storm van Helsing, Various Artists, Hennessy Youngman.