Hauntology and the absence aesthetics: an examination of liminal internet aesthetics

Abstract

This thesis examines the online phenomenon known as internet aesthetics, which became popular during the pandemic, focusing on its three subcategories: dreamcore, weirdcore, and nostalgiacore. These subcategories fall under the broader term of ‘liminal internet aesthetics,’ which are characterized by familiar yet empty spaces, such as abandoned malls, schools, and homes, often imbued with a nostalgic yet unsettling feeling. Within the vast visual realm of internet aesthetics, liminal internet aesthetics employ a visual language centered on the motif of ‘human absence.’ The aim of this thesis is to analyze this visual language created by the motifs of ‘absence’ and ‘presence’ as a reflection of societal anxieties heightened by the global pandemic and the media-saturated world. For this analysis, the research draws on the concept of hauntology, introduced by Jacques Derrida and later expanded upon by cultural theorist Mark Fisher, as well as Fisher’s concepts of the weird and the eerie, two modes of hauntology that are categorized in this thesis under the concept of ‘absence aesthetics.’ Further, the thesis adopts a qualitative methodology combining close visual analysis with ethnographic participant observation conducted within online aesthetic communities. Ultimately, this research seeks to contribute to the existing literature on internet aesthetics and digital culture, particularly in relation to the post-pandemic cultural landscape.