Art History Illuminates the 'Backrooms' Aesthetic

The article explores how the 'Backrooms' aesthetic—a viral internet phenomenon depicting endless, liminal office spaces—draws on art historical precedents. It connects the unsettling familiarity of these corridors to works by artists like Mike Kelley and Rachel Whiteread, who manipulate domestic and institutional spaces to evoke memory and unease. The piece argues that the Backrooms' resonance lies in its ability to tap into collective anxieties about modern architecture and bureaucracy, a theme long examined in contemporary art. No specific dates, events, or new works are discussed; the article is a critical analysis linking internet culture to art history.