PETA’s Virtual Reality Allows Humans and Animals to Talk Leaving Participants in Tears
By Katie Wismer
What if we could have a conversation with an animal? What if animals could ask us why we lock them up, why we eat them, why we turn them into clothing?
These are the questions that inspired PETA Germany’s “Eye to Eye” virtual reality experience that allows humans and animals to see “eye to eye” and have a conversation, with the hopes that it will open people’s eyes and hearts.
The simulation opens with a harmless conversation with a rabbit in the seat across from you. He introduces himself, offers you a compliment. He’s cute and you laugh as the two of you start to talk.
Then he asks what freedom means to you.
Then he shows what freedom means to him.
He brings you to a forest. The sun is shining, the trees are endless. You cannot help but feel happy as you take in your beautiful surroundings. This is the ideal reality for his kind. But unfortunately, most do not get to live that kind of life.
In Germany alone, more than 1 billion animals are raised in captivity.
The simulation gets progressively more grim as the rabbit shows you the reality of his situation – how it feels to live under constant scrutiny, the labs where he has seen his friends killed, and knowing with certainty, that his life will be next.
At the end of the simulation each participant finds an envelope that leaves some in tears. Inside is a note that reads:
“Thank you for your time. For listening. For your words. For this short moment. There is so much more that connects us than it might seem. Every one of us is an individual. We are all so different, but also similar. We all feel pain, love our families, and want to be treated with respect. And we all have just this one short life.”
(Source: Youtube)
“Eye to Eye” was created in cooperation with creative agency Kolle Rebbe and digital agency Domedern. Hendrik Thiele, PETA Germany’s Head of Creation and Major Projects, explains the idea behind the project, saying, “Virtual reality gives us the chance to reach out to people who’ve never thought about animal rights before, or only briefly.”
You can watch a video of “Eye to Eye” here, and you can visit PETA’s website to learn more about their other virtual reality projects. The project made its public debut during Re: Publica 2018 this month in Berlin, Germany, with more dates to be announced soon.
