Marina Sersale's photographic series, Liminal Space, offers a captivating glimpse into the world through dramatic black-and-white imagery. Conceived during her wanderings in her native Rome, this project spans over a decade, documenting scenes from Italy, Japan, and numerous other countries. The collection serves as a personal visual exploration of the spaces between light and shadow, reality and imagination.
A Journey Through Light and Shadow
Liminal Space brings together more than ten years of work, capturing the essence of places Sersale has visited. From sunbathers holding hands on the seashore in Positano to rain-soaked metro stations in Naples, each image tells a unique story. Sersale's attentive and instinctive gaze lingers on ephemeral moments, where light and atmosphere become powerful carriers of meaning.
Inspirational Moments Across the Globe
In Japan, at the Tadao Ando Benesse museum in Naoshima, Sersale was inspired by the lines, light, and texture of cement walls. She describes the scene as a testament to Ando's influential work. Similarly, in Palermo, she finds magic in empty chairs and the city's enchanting ambiance, highlighting her return to photography in late 2012 as the start of a deeply personal artistic journey.
Other notable images include a winter's day on Coney Island beach, where a solitary man and birds create a serene tableau, and a moment in Kurashiki, Japan, where three men appear cinematic yet mundane. Sersale's ability to find beauty in everyday gestures, such as a couple's handhold or a child's curious glance, underscores the project's emotional depth.
Technical and Artistic Mastery
Formerly a documentary film-maker, Sersale employs her skills to capture textures and layers, as seen in images of wooden scaffolding in Rome or ferry windows along the Amalfi coast. Her work emphasizes how slanting light and compositional elements bring scenes to life, making each photograph a testament to her evolving artistry.
The full Liminal Space project includes pictures taken in Italy, France, the United States, Sweden, Iran, Argentina, and Japan, between 2013 and 2021. Published by Gost, it stands as a significant contribution to contemporary photography and art books, inviting viewers to see the world through a monochrome lens.
