Absence and representation, look and power: the Bin Laden’s picture we haven’t seen

Abstract

The picture of Barak Obama and his group of collaborators, all watching to a screen that provided information on the operation that led to the death of Bin Laden, represents nowadays the visual reference that reports that momentous event. In view of the absence of the image of the terrorist leader’s corps, this one offers a rich signifying configuration that, by means of a relevant set of mirrors, connects characters, actions or places that, in one way or another, are involved in the big event. The looks toward the screen hidden to the audience highlight a clear manifestation of power and control over the information material.