Maduro’s Nike Tracksuit and the New Visual Language of Power

On Jan. 3, hours after the U.S. captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, a photograph circulated showing Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima wearing a Nike tracksuit. This image moved quickly across global media and was shared, commented on, memed, and folded into the familiar rhythms of contemporary visual culture. 

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

What drew immediate attention was not only the informality of Maduro’s clothing, but the presence of a globally recognizable...