Vienna exhibits "The faces of power"

Hugo Chávez, Berlusconi, Barack Obama and Mahmud Ahmadineyad are some of the presidents portrayed by photographer Platon Antoniou

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez gave the artist only 15 seconds (Photo: Efe)

EL UNIVERSAL

Tuesday February 21, 2012 02:59 PM

If the eyes are the window to the soul, photographer Platon Antoniou, or just Platon, has quite succeeded in X-raying the political power through a project that has immortalized more than one hundred world leaders.

The Viennese photo-gallery opened on Tuesday the first monographic exhibition on the project named after Platon. "The faces of power" collects about 50 extra-large pictures on display until next April 11.

In this way, while (former Italian Prime Minister Silvio) Berlusconi boasts his best womanizer's smile, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez emerges from the dark.

Platon related that each leader set his conditions; sometimes there was hardly enough for the shutter release. "Chávez gave me 15 seconds. I think I took one or two photos. At that moment, you should act instinctively."

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