Unseen Enemy is a powerful and thought-provoking exhibition which tackles the highly charged issues surrounding the Improvised Explosive Device (IED). Packed with personal interviews, images and mementoes it tells the inspiring stories of the men and women who search for, make safe and deal with the impact of IEDs in present day Afghanistan. Using their words this exhibitions reveals the soldiers, medics and families’ dedication, resilience and courage in ways that are moving and at times humorous.
In this interactive exhibition visitors can walk in the footsteps of the troops on the ground and test their mettle as they search for devices. Get close to the actual equipment used in detecting and disarming devices such as bombsuits and robots. Visitors can also explore the immediate aftermath of the explosion, follow the ‘road to recovery’ and the IED’s lasting legacy at home and abroad.
“You are mentally drained. You are very, very tired at the end of the day. But you know… nothing focuses the mind like 40kg of explosive.”
— WO1 Andy Goodwin QGM, Royal Logistic Corps
Unseen Enemy provides an unflinching insight into the history and development and strategic use of the IED in Afghanistan. It raises awareness about the use of the IED in Afghanistan and its part in shaping modern warfare. It provokes questions about the wider effects on Afghan society and long-term legacy of these deadly devices.
