Staring out the window and watching the world pass by is a common activity for the average traveler. It’s easy to get lost in the whirl of the blurry grass, trees, and clouds that speed past you from your ticketed passenger seat. Even when surrounded by so many people, traveling can be a lonely and isolating process. In many of her projects, German photographer Koenning explores this sense of place and belonging through ordinary and everyday experiences.
Transit is a project that documents people on their travels through the lens of Koenning’s camera. From travelers asleep in a passing car to a fellow companion seated directly across the aisle on a train, the Australia-based artist is able to capture and portray the essence of a long journey.
Koenning presents to her viewers the quiet and peaceful moments of travel that occur before the excitement of arriving at a new destination. She says, “By fate, destiny or chance, strangers are thrown together for a short while, forced to share an intimate space. There is a quiet comfort in sitting back and watching the world fly by.”