In/visibility, public-making and the politics of becoming

Hans Asenbaum’s new book, The Politics of Becoming: Anonymity and Democracy in the Digital Age, takes the question of anonymity beyond the usual tropes. In this essay, I reflect on how foregrounding a politics of becoming generates actionable insights to advance participatory politics and democratic life. In Asenbaum’s account, anonymity emerges as a fundamental dimension of participatory politics not just for what it hides or protects but also for what it shows and enables. The book demonstrates that anonymity is not just absence, but a different kind of presence with its own political thrust.