We usually cling to our phones the minute we have some time off, so it’s rare to see someone who isn’t scrolling in subway cars. That’s why I think the most interesting moments in the series pop when people are doing something else: a man with the thumb on the screen but looking straight at the photographer; a man apparently in pain in the center of the frame, surrounded by people minding their own business; two guys laughing at each other; a woman with a fox purse looking out the window.

Rather than marking significant cultural differences, I believe the photos reveal more of a shared contemporary experience of riding the subway: spare time spent checking our phones. I chose the panoramic format as a tribute to the construction of the subway cars. The photographs can be viewed with a horizontal, urban gaze, quickly scanning from side to side in search of something as interesting as the cities of Tokyo and Berlin.

The photos were taken on the subway of Tokyo (2025) and Berlin (2026), and the first photo of the series was shortlisted for the BBA One Shot Award.