You don’t have to be long in New York City to realize that “rising above the noise” is easier said than done. Senses exploding, reflexes on high, it’s hard to think of anything except where you’re going next. Young Farah Al Qasimi, a Saudi Arabian-born artist, recognizes and responds to this struggle with 17 photographs. Shot for the Public Art Fund and presented on 100 bus stops across New York’s five boroughs, her images emphasize our shared humanity within the fast-moving, ever-more-impersonal thrum of the big city. —J.V.