The aesthetics of absence: Rebuilding ground zero

In this article, I examine the narratives and meanings that have been projected onto the space of Ground Zero in New York City since September 11, 2001, how they have been deployed for various political agendas, and how they have informed the ways in which the site will be rebuilt and memorialized. I investigate the changing meanings attributed to the dust and the footprints of the World Trade Center buildings and the debates over architectural designs and the proposed memorial.