Seule la nuit nous sépare

While the venerable Sukhumvit Road stretches for nearly 500 kilometres all the way to the Cambodian border, anyone who has visited Bangkok knows exactly which section is being referred to when this mythical avenue is mentioned. Taking the pulse of the megacity, the electrocardiogram goes into overdrive when connected to the area surrounding this ever-evolving artery. Lined with ultra-modern skyscrapers, ever-larger shopping malls, nightclubs and upscale restaurants, it is also punctuated by districts devoted to adult entertainment. These characteristics, together with its chaotic traffic and the Skytrain soaring above it, give certain stretches an unmistakable Gotham City atmosphere.

Amid this whirlwind, a handful of old residential alleyways still survive, though their days appear to be numbered. Within this almost unreal setting, a solitary figure continues on her way. The height of the ageing buildings prevents the eye from seeing their rooftops, as though the alley had been fitted with a ceiling, giving it the dystopian appearance of an abandoned prison, as if the city had finally closed its walls upon itself. Are we in Blade Runner?

Photographed from the elevated tracks of the Skytrain, the image shifts from warm tones to cold ones and also evokes the cinematic world of Wong Kar-Wai. In the distance, a construction hoarding can be seen, announcing the imminent rise of yet another building that will undoubtedly be taller, more spectacular, and more ambitious than the last...