Non voler “essere lì” : Sul valore documentale delle immagini panoramiche nel processo per gli attentati del 13 novembre 2015 a Parigi

The paper scrutinizes documentary immersive images, portraying environments de-
picting historical events and presented as authentic representations. It explores the discur-
sive placement of trust in such images, specifically examining whether a 360–degree view in
videos or images contributes to perceived content trustworthiness. Environmental images,
while promising medial transparency by minimizing framing impact, present a “substantial
inconsistency” as their mechanical objectivity tends to prioritize technical device neutrality
over human subjectivity. The study focuses on visual traces from the trial of the November
13, 2015 attacks (also known with the acronym V13), housed in the French Archives na-
tionales. The panoramic dimension of these images, meant as an investigative tool, facili-
tates spatial exploration of the crime scenes, whilst offering critical insights on the role of
immersive imagery as evidentiary technologies. Analysis of intentional and unintentional
semiotic processes, like ‘censoring’ bodies and corps, allows an understanding of the immer-
sive dimension’s role within a legal and ‘monumental’ framework. The paper advocates for
integrating the study of immersive images into a historically and socially situated framework
in the context of the naturalization of immersive devices in contemporary society.