From its very nature, a commute is a large bundle of social elements: social commitments to work, fixed times and spaces for travelling, and moments wherein we socialize with strangers. Visible and invisible location-based cues constantly guide us, including signages, advertisements, announcements in the carriage, and socially accepted ‘common-sense’ that sets the mutual mood of a commute. These social aspects impose particular characteristics of collective self-regulation and alienation in commuting spaces.

These spaces contain   quietness, 

                                              indifference, ​

                                                   daydreams, 

                                                                       endurance, 

                                                                                     and               idleness.

So, we know of individuals who do not feel, think, or act but are rather a on autopilot mode. However, each of us has a differentiated experience with our own personal context. Paying attention to the personal experience is essential to effectively engage with our surroundings and ultimately to establish the individual self, not an automated self.

By reoccupying these spaces and reflecting on the individuals’ narratives, this project aims to reimagine an alternative relationship between agents and spaces. It will make urban commuters aware of their surroundings and their own experiences that have been overlooked and help them open up conversations about commuting.

Through the Covid era, we observed radical changes in our commutes and commuting spaces. Taking it as a break from daily practice and a chance to seek different possibilities rather than going back to the ‘normal’ in everyday spaces.