liminal space

English

Dead malls are often the subjects of liminal space images.

Etymology

From liminal (“of or pertaining to an entrance or threshold”) + space, due to originally focusing on "in-between" spaces such as hallways and stairwells.

Noun

liminal space (plural liminal spaces)

1. (aesthetic) A depiction of an empty or abandoned place, often made to appear unsettling, surreal, or nostalgic.
   • 2022 November 1, Jake Pitre, “The Eerie Comfort of Liminal Spaces”, in The Atlantic‎^[1], Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic Monthly Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 1 November 2022:

     In fact, the most uncanny contemporary liminal spaces combine the familiarity of, say, a New York City tourist magnet with an unnatural emptiness. Then again, a liminal space can be somewhere you could imagine dreaming about or seeing on TV. It can be tinged with tragedy or just inexplicably sad in its ordinariness. Liminal spaces can be both comforting and discomforting, nostalgic and unsettling, intimate and unnatural.

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see liminal,‎ space.
   • 2021 September 30, Elisabeth Vincentelli, “Review: In ’Never Let Go,’ a Solo Performer’s Heart Goes On”, in The New York Times‎^[2], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-12-26:

     Michael Kinnan's sendup of "Titanic" explores the liminal space between tribute and affectionate satire.

See also

• Backrooms
• kenopsia

Further reading

• Liminal space (aesthetic) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia