“Things That Count” is an online collaboration between students from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium and young Vietnamese photographers, featuring important current topics in modern society with ten chosen values including family, safety, gender, heritage, humour, intimacy, freedom, power, knowledge, and faith.

In the times of COVID-19, existential questions were posed to young people who are now facing an uncertain future. Each week, the participants dealt with an assigned “value”, which they first discussed in pairs, then provided each other with inspiration, and finally expressed their personal opinion of the value in question in one single photograph.

Photos and conversations between the photographers are posted online to spread perspectives on modern life and thereby form friendships between these photographers. The works have created hopes and bridges between the two cultures of Eurasia, expressing understanding and trust through the language of photography.