CLOSER THAN IT’S EVER BEEN invites you to enter Toronto-born, UK-based artist Sin Wai Kin’s multiverse of characters who embody thematic areas of research, ranging from science fiction and non-dualistic philosophies to Peking opera and theoretical physics. In interrelated presentations at three locations across the city, this curation features the Canadian premiere of Sin’s video work The Time of Our Lives (2024) and their advertising campaign, Essence (2024).
As part of the curation, join us for a special screening of Sin’s film The Fortress (2024). Following the screening will be an extended Q&A session with the artist in attendance moderated by our associate director Kelly Lui. In The Fortress, we encounter Sin’s character “Wai King” as he rehearses for the role of ‘Man’ at Alfalah Theatre in Lahore, Pakistan. In the witness of the rehearsals, we confront the constructions of ‘Man’ as the archetype and in turn the possibilities for its unraveling and reconstruction.
CLOSER THAN IT’S EVER BEEN is presented by CONTACT Photography Festival and Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, both organizations are celebrating their 30th anniversary. Supported by Sankofa Square and Pattison Outdoor Advertising.
Curated by Kelly Lui
The Fortress presents, then slowly dismantles, the archetype of ‘Man’ as a classifier for humanity. First encountered at Alfalah Theatre in Lahore, Pakistan, the subject rehearses and performatively constructs his position of superiority and othering. Transported to the citadel Lahore Fort, the subject meets the remnants of his past narratives, layered one atop the other. The film explores themes of identity, power, and objective knowledge, critiquing Western notions of universality and the privileging of reason and individualism.
Shot in Lahore, Pakistan across Alfalah Theatre and Lahore Fort, co-commissioned by Lahore Biennale Foundation and Forma, supported by The British Council and Shane Akeroyd. The Fortress premiered at The Lahore Biennale in 2024.
Sin Wai Kin
Multimedia artist, filmmaker, writer, and performer
單Sin 慧Wai 乾Kin is a multimedia artist, filmmaker, writer, and performer based in London. Their work realises alternate worlds that reflect on language, reality, time, identity, and duality. Sin was shortlisted for the Turner Prize 2022, the 2024 Jarman award, and the K21 Global Art Award 2025. They were the recipient of the 24th Baloise Art Prize at Art Basel 2023. Their solo exhibitions were held at Blindspot Gallery (Hong Kong, 2025), Canal Projects (New York, 2025), Kunsthall Trondheim (Trondheim, 2025), Accelerator (Stockholm, 2024), Mudam Luxembourg (Luxembourg, 2024), Buffalo AKG Art Museum (New York, 2024), Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (Berkeley, 2023), and Fondazione Memmo (Rome, 2023).
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
6PM (Doors Open at 5:30PM)
FREE TO ATTEND
Bachir/Yerex Presentation Space,
The Commons (Suite 440),
401 Richmond St. West,
Toronto, ON,
M5V 3A8
Learn more about Sin Wai Kin’s multisite project CLOSER THAN IT’S EVER BEEN
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is Canada’s largest pan-Asian film festival, showcasing bold contemporary cinema by Asian and Asian diasporic artists from Canada, the U.S., Asia, and around the world. Held each November in Toronto, Reel Asian presents a dynamic lineup of film screenings, panels, and special events, with programming and education initiatives continuing throughout the year. Founded in 1996, Reel Asian celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026, marking three decades of championing underrepresented voices and fostering dialogue through film and media arts.
401 Richmond Street West, The Commons (Suite 448)
Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3A8 Canada
(416) 703 – 9333
info@reelasian.com
Charitable number: 870021383RR0001
