Silent Well is an interactive installation that centers on a sculptural well encircled by soil and a constellation of flat cloud forms. Drawing from Nguyen’s ongoing exploration of Hanoi’s water infrastructure and the mystical motifs of Vietnamese folk tales, the work meditates on the iconic village wells of the Red River Delta—once vital communal sites around which village life unfolded.

At the heart of Silent Well is a sensory water mechanism. On close inspection, viewers discover that what appears to be running water is, in fact, a delicate flow of moss suspended in a mix of air and water. The system is activated only when someone approaches, fusing perception and participation. In this moment of encounter, the viewer is asked not only to see—but to notice, to attend.

This subtle choreography of air and water becomes a metaphor for mourning and displacement. The work reflects on the silent lament of villagers forced to leave their ancestral lands to make way for encroaching urban developments. Silent Well conjures a quiet protest: a gesture of remembrance, resistance, and renewal in the face of erasure. Through its gentle motion and mythic references, the installation invites viewers into a space where memory seeps into the present—haunting, fragile, and alive.