Liminal space

Liminal space is an internet aesthetic centered on depictions of built environments, especially places associated with passage or temporary use. In such imagery, the absence of people, activity, or context normally expected in a setting can make familiar places appear uncanny or surreal and may evoke nostalgia, sadness, comfort, or unease. The name derives from the anthropological concept of liminality, although its online use is broader and does not always refer to spaces that are literally transitional.

Liminal-space imagery circulated across online platforms in 2019, and the aesthetic became closely associated with the Backrooms, an online urban legend that appeared on 4chan in May 2019. Interest increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, when images of unusually empty public spaces became widespread. Commentators have linked the aesthetic's appeal to nostalgia and the absence of expected human context; a 2022 study found that deviations from familiar architectural patterns can make built environments appear uncanny.