Nobody´s Listening

Nobody’s Listening is a virtual reality experience and immersive exhibition that commemorates the Yazidi genocide committed by ISIS in the summer of 2014 in northern Iraq. Seven years on and despite Nadia Murad winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Amal Clooney’s influential advocacy, and quickly implemented refugee programs such as that provided by the state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany, too little has been done to help the Yazidis and other affected communities. The genocide is still ongoing: Approximately 3,000 Yazidi women and children remain missing or in captivity, and not a single ISIS fighter has been brought to justice for the crime of genocide. The exhibition Nobody’s Listening explores the consequences of the genocidal campaign by ISIS and its devastating effect on persecuted communities and their cultural heritage through Virtual Reality technology, photography, and art works by Yazidi artists. Above all, Nobody’s Listening pays tribute to the courage, determination, and agency of the survivors, and gives them a space where they can be heard by people around the world. Together they are one voice, calling for international recognition and justice.

The exhibition creates an immersive environment that generates greater international awareness of the events of the 2014 genocidal campaign and its profoundly devastating consequences for the Yazidi people, Christians as well as other minority religious groups and their cultural heritage in northern Iraq. Seven years after the genocide, this is a forward-facing exhibition that focuses on what needs to happen next. It provides a platform for survivors and displaced people to tell their stories, display their expressions of painting, sculpture, and poetry – and make their voices heard about what actions are still needed.

Nobody’s Listening is a touring exhibition organized by Yazda, the global organization of the Yazidi, and Upstream in collaboration with the Society for Threatened People e.V., and the Institute for Transcultural Health Science at the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University, designed and produced by Easy Tiger Creative Ltd, first shown from October 2, 2021 to January 9, 2022 by ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe and generously funded by the State Ministry of Baden-Württemberg, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the City of Karlsruhe. The exhibition is under the patronage of Winfried Kretschmann, Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg. At the ZKM it is accompanied by a comprehensive community outreach program and an international symposium on December 9 and 10, 2021 to mark the International Day to Commemorate Victims of Genocide and the Human Rights Day.

Opening program
Friday, October 1, 2021
Online broadcast at zkm.de/en/livestream

4pm CEST
Panel-discussion between Nahrin Malki, Falah al Rasam and Ivana Waleed, moderated by Dr. Jan Ilhan Kizilhan
The artists will talk about the background of their artworks, their wishes to support their community and the power of art in storytelling.

6pm CEST
Opening ceremony

International symposium
Thursday, December 9 and Friday, December 10, 2021

3pm–8pm CET
Online broadcast at zkm.de/en/livestream

Under the patronage of Winfried Kretschmann, Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg.

Curated by Ryan Xavier D’Souza.

Special thanks to the photographers and artists who kindly contributed their time and work for this exhibition. 

Nobody’s Listening is dedicated to the Yazidi community and all other victims and survivors of the genocide.

“The Nobody’s Listening exhibition is an important way to remind people of the horrors of ISIS, but also to inspire action to ensure this never happens again to Yazidis, Christians or any other Iraqi community.” —Ivana Waleed, Yazidi activist and genocide survivor

“Nobody’s Listening is a moving exhibition that pays tribute to the courage of the survivors of genocide and amplifies their call for justice.” —Amal Clooney, human rights lawyer