Rows of tiny bullet-proof vests hang on clothing racks and “safety defence” lunchboxes adorn the walls. It looks like an apparel store – almost. But the “Back to School Shopping” art installation by the artist WhIsBe is a commentary on US mass school shootings, intended to raise the question: How long before life imitates art? The child-sized bulletproof vests are adorned with cartoon characters Pikachu, Care Bears and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, while the lunch boxes are filled with replica guns, Tasers and brass knuckles. The exhibit, in warehouse-style space in the heart of Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood, also features a game arcade claw machine filled with brightly coloured cap guns. The artist, whose nom de plume WhIsBe stands for “What is Beauty,” is aiming for a gut-punching reaction to an exhibit that he hopes will spur action to combat school shootings.