Disconnect

As part of a project for a class at FIT, we were to design an exhibition space in which a series of photos will cover the walls and form the basis of the content for the said exhibit.

In today’s day and age, we seem to be more connected than ever before. We are constantly connected to our friends and family via the internet, and we can travel the world with the help of buses, cars, trains and planes – but how connected are we to each other, really?
This photo series aims to show the disconnect in the world around us, even in a place that is meant to connect people and help them go places – the New York city subway.

Photos

Union Square is bustling with people at any given
moment. Yet, in spite of its name and the sheer
number of people, there seems to be no close human
interaction going on here.
We see people heading into the subway station.
We see the stairwell leading downstairs. A lonely
feeling sets in.
As we wait in line with fellow subway-goers, we are all
caught up in our own worlds. We make no attempts
to talk to anyone around us.
We swipe our Metro Card and enter the station.
The man trying to make a human connection is
completely ignored. His music falls on deaf ears.
We head downstairs to the platform. There is a sense
of emptiness even in a place where people are plenty.
The train pulls into the station platform. The people
who have been waiting for the train don’t speak, make
eye contact, or interact with eachother. It almost feels
like they are invisible.
The pre-occupied people hurriedly scramble to enter
the train. These are the few and fleeting moments
where we are momentarily in the present.
It feels almost as if we are sitting all alone in an empty
train – when in reality, the opposite is true.
The train connects us to where we want to go
at previously unimaginable speeds. All types of
connections are so quick and easy these days – yet the
bonds we form with the real world are astonishingly
lower than in the past.
We arrive at our stop and descend from the train.
We are just like the man on the other side of the
platform – alone.
The man waiting for the next train to arrive is by
himself. Even in his loneliness, he seems to be
pre-occupied with his phone. He barely notices the
empty, dark subway station.
We find the exit and head for the stairs to venture out
into the world above ground, once again.
We reach the top of the stairs. The streets are busy
and much is happening – yet the feeling is cold and
distant.
It is time to leave. As we glance back at the stairs,
we see a woman trying to catch the attention of the
people leaving. Her efforts go in vain, as people walk
past her – just as we did.