‘Value’ is a complex concept: It can be related to appreciation, aesthetics, scarcity, performance or price. However it is defined, value is seen as something desirable and unambiguously positive. Nevertheless, its concrete meaning must be specified in relation to a cultural context in which value is claimed and affirmed. This is very similar to the term ‘authenticity’. What is considered authentic has been the subject of debate for years: authenticity is negotiable (Cohen 1988). Yet the term ‘authenticity’ has assumed a prominent position in the practice of valuation and value creation. In short, authenticity is the promise and hope of trustworthiness, immediacy and originality attributed to the residues of the past and supported by social actors in the present (Sabrow and Saupe 2022). The IRS Spring Academy 2025 discusses the historical dimension in an interdisciplinary debate on the social construction of values and authenticity with spatial reference.
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