The battle for hearts and minds: interrogation and torture in the age of war

Abstract

We describe the first virtual reality art performance Hearts and Minds: The Interrogations Project developed using a novel method for direct output of the Unity-based virtual reality projects into CAVE2™ [Febretti et al. 2013] environment. This work incorporates original research, technological innovation and creative arts in an adaptation of veterans' testimonies detailing US military interrogations and abuses of prisoners in Iraq during the American counter-insurgency campaign in the early 2000s. It presents a debate focusing on interrogation methods, torture and its consequences, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder experienced by solders who have participated in such acts. This work was developed at the Electronic Visualization Lab in Chicago through a unique international collaboration between artists, scientists, and researchers from five different Universities. The methods developed for this project allow hands-on education of virtual reality by letting students create their own virtual environments and exhibit them in the CAVE2 quickly.