Nobody’s Listening VR Experience

Nobody’s Listening is a ground breaking Virtual Reality experience and immersive exhibition program commemorating the Yazidi genocide initiated by the Islamic State in the summer of 2014 in northern Iraq. Integrating cutting-edge Virtual Reality technology, photography, and art, the exhibition delves into the ramifications of the genocidal campaign – its profound impact on persecuted communities and their cultural heritage. Above all, Nobody’s Listening honors the bravery, resilience, and agency of survivors, providing them with a platform to be heard globally. Together, they form a collective voice advocating for international recognition and justice. The exhibition facilitates avenues for visitors to engage in advocacy efforts supporting Nobody’s Listening.

The Nobody’s Listening Virtual Reality Experience premiered at the Parliament of Iraq on December 8, 2020, and the Nobody’s Listening Immersive Exhibition launched at the ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe on October 1, 2021. Subsequently, it has toured Brussels (2022), the University of Nebraska at Omaha (2023), and the US Institute of Peace (2023-2024). Satellite exhibitions have been hosted in the United Kingdom at Ministerial-level conferences on human rights, as well as in schools and universities.

The exhibition has played a pivotal role in successful human rights campaigns, leading to the formal recognition of the Yazidi genocide by the German and Luxembourg parliaments. It has also established educational programs in the United Kingdom and the United States aimed at raising awareness about the Yazidi genocide.

This VR experience, filmed in 2019 in Sinjar, Iraq, allows the viewer to step into the exact locations of the atrocities. The voices heard are based on authentic testimony, immersing the viewer in northern Iraq and encompassing the sights, sounds, and stories of the attacks against the Yazidi community in 2014. It provides insight into life before the genocide, the events during, and the current situation, connecting the past to the present.

In line with the “Do No Harm” principle and to mitigate emotional distress, the VR experience avoids depicting excessively graphic scenes, such as blood or deceased individuals. Sexual violence is delicately referenced through the narratives of the three characters.

We strongly recommend that individuals who have directly experienced the crimes perpetrated by Da’esh, especially survivors of sexual violence, refrain from participating in this VR experience.

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL  (2 people can participate in the experience at one time. Sessions will proceed in booking order and last for approximately 15 minutes)

The Nobody’s Listening Virtual Reality Experience is being presented at NERAM as part of Drawn From Pain, Written from Truth: Suad Smo and Amera Ali.