“The Phoenix of Gaza XR” project was the topic of two recent podcasts, one hosted by comedian and political commentator Trevor Noah, and the other produced by NPR affiliate WGBH Boston.
“The Phoenix of Gaza XR” is a collaborative virtual reality endeavor that used immersive technologies to document life in Gaza for over a year, capturing both its physical essence and the indomitable spirit of its people. In essence, it puts its viewers in Gaza, allowing them to experience it as if they were actually walking through it, both before and after Oct. 7, 2023.
Developed by Ahlam Muhtaseb, Cal State San Bernardino communication and media studies professor, and her former student, Naim Aburaddi ’22 M.A., communication studies, the cutting-edge work has earned acclaim for its combination of technology, storytelling and social impact.
On the “What Now? With Trevor Noah Podcast” on Feb. 13, Ruha Benjamin, sociologist and MacArthur Fellowship winner, mentioned that she had hosted a two-day exhibit featuring the “Phoenix of Gaza XR” project.
Calling the creators “an amazing team,” she said, “‘The Phoenix of Gaza XR’ project is one of the few of these emerging technologies that I think of as truly liberatory in that the goal is to engender self-determination, and cultural preservation, and a return, a right to return.”
The Feb. 19 episode of the “Culture Show Podcast” shared the story of how “The Phoenix of Gaza XR” is being used to memorialize Gaza. Beginning at about 41 minutes, 45 seconds into the podcast, host Jared Bowen described how Aburaddi’s graduate school project that used immersive technology to document life in his native Gaza has become “a three-dimension archive of Gaza, both before and after October 7th (2023).”
“Culture Show Podcast” producer Kate Dellis interviewed Aburaddi and Muhtaseb for the segment. For them, Dellis said, virtual reality is more than entertainment — it’s cultural preservation.
“Gaza was captured for all the world to see,” Dellis said.