Generalized statements are made to describe the commute experience as either good or bad. However, the commute is a subjective, multi-sensory experience that is lived differently. Even if two people are on the same ride, one’s actual reality and what they’re experiencing is not the same for each person. ادينيودنك, which translates to "lend an ear", approaches this ongoing misconception regarding the commute using parallel realities.

Within the daily commute’s soundscape are the overheard conversations that invade our personal space and force us to live alongside the subject in the narrative, without physical engagement. ادينيودنك was inspired by a traditional game called ‘broken telephone’. The game highlights how every person hears the same word differently and later transmits it according to what they heard, without it necessarily being the right, initial word.

Through the translation of narratives overheard on the commute into photographs, Raghad was able to convert the unobservable auditory space into observable visuals, creating a visual dialogue. The photos reflect her own understanding of the overheard narrative, in turn resulting in some sort of a biased truth, or a parallel reality. The created visual dialogue will then open new ways of interpretations by the audience, resulting in the creation of even more parallel realities. This enforces the grander idea of subjectivity on a small scale. Even though people are looking at the same visuals, they may have different interpretations. Although we all commute and possibly undergo the same factors, we all experience it differently.

Raghad’s Bio

Raghad is a graphic designer based in Cairo. During her studies, she worked as a photographer at the American University in Cairo, moving on to focus her bachelor thesis on photography. After graduating with a BA in Graphic Design, Raghad has been exploring the creative local scene and developing her skills in traditional printmaking.