This article focuses on the Commonwealth Institute in London – a cultural and artistic centre dedicated to the Commonwealth which opened in 1962. The Institute held a unique position in the institutional landscape of the Commonwealth as well as in the London artistic scene, in a context of social, political and artistic turmoil in 1980s Britain. This article examines the Institute’s research of “authenticity” through its promotion of African and Caribbean heritage, both in terms of “realism” and by involving Commonwealth governments, artists and communities in its projects – through exhibitions or festivals, for instance. The ambivalence and limits of this performed “authenticity” are analysed through a focus on its modalities, its depth and the (political) motivations behind it.