This photograph shows a neighbourhood shopping centre – Bishan Junction 8 – located in Bishan, one of Singapore’s satellite new towns. The right half of the photograph is dominated by the flank of the shopping centre, which is decorated with elaborate Christmas ornaments. The juxtaposition of the shopping mall against an expanse of empty field is a clear indication of the Belgian photographer’s choice subject matter—landscapes in transition, and the intersection of urban areas and nature in Singapore. This photograph is part of a collection titled ‘Singapore Views on the Urban Landscape’, where the city-state of Singapore is described as a ‘bodiless dragon’. This is due to the rapid development of its economy and urban landscape, as well as the flux of people and capital despite its small size and the lack of a hinterland. Jodogne aimed to capture the scale and impact of this development, which he described as ‘rapid, organised and massive’.
