Baby's Breath

Phuong Hoang

On the one hand, the title BABY'S BREATH alludes to the flower symbolizing everlasting love, pureness, and innocence. On the other hand, it is a bridge to global status reports on violence against children in 2020. UNICEF Vietman informs about an increase of the already shockingly high numbers in domestic violence and abuse by parents and caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Local media coverage regularly publishes graphic images and videos that reveal abusive scenes and injury victims. Phuong Hoang's multi- media installation is a combination of texts, photographs, objects, and videos triggered by violent images, clips, and stories published in Vietnamese online newspapers and news sites over the past 15 years. The project questions how pictures of violence, especially those focusing on child abuse publicized by the media, may affect the public's empathy.