FALL 2025

September 03, 2025

TORONTO / SCREENING

Tuesday September 23, 2025, 7PM

Into The Night: Yonge Street Shorts (1975 – 1978), presented by Gallery 44 & VTape

Tuesday Sept 23, 2025, at 7:00PM - 8:30PM

Join Gallery 44 Curator Sameen Mahboubi, Artist-in-Residence Jordan King and filmmaker Janis Cole for a screening of three short films at The Commons @ 401’s Bachir/Yerex Presentation Space (401 Richmond St. West, 4th Floor, Toronto). As part of my year-long residency at Gallery 44, I am exploring analogue film and photography techniques alongside representations of transfeminine subjects on screen.

Cream Soda (1975) Directors Janis Cole & Holly Dale. 11 mins

Cream Soda offers an unparalleled look inside one of Yonge Street’s renowned massage parlors, filmed with the business owner’s reluctant permission. At the time the film was completed, businesses like the one documented in this short were clustered on Yonge Street between Dundas and Gerrard. This unofficial area was known as Toronto’s Sin Strip. Filmmakers Janis Cole and Holly Dale were still students at Sheridan College at the time this short was completed, yet the aesthetic considerations and editing, both of the film itself and the recorded audio, are sublime.

Minimum Charge No Cover (1976) Directors Janis Cole & Holly Dale. 9 mins.

Minimum Charge No Cover is a rich portrait of a handful of individuals Cole and Dale encountered as participants in the Yonge Street scene of the 1970s. These include workers who appeared in their previous short, Cream Soda and drag performers. Rare, sumptuous footage of Yonge Street in neon light, bring the textures of the Sin Strip to life.

Baby Dolls (1978) Director Rodney Werden. 19 mins.

In Toronto video artist Rodney Werden’s intimate portrait, a young trans person discusses their upcoming gender affirming surgery. The camera’s vantage is often uncomfortably close, while in the voice over audio, the interview subject shares their perspective on the changes that lie ahead for them. Werden was a participant in the Yonge Street world, which consisted of many outsiders like those featured in Cole and Dale’s early short films

Following the screening, stay for a panel discussion with Gallery 44 Curator Sameen Mahboubi, filmmaker Janis Cole and I.

ONLINE SCREENING

Premiering September 2025:

SLEEP

Performance, digital video. Jordan King. (2025) 7 min, 22 seconds.

Sleep is a video work which records a performance created in June 2025, through an artist-in-residence research creation period initiated by York University’s Creative Entanglement Collaboratory. The work will be viewable online as of mid September 2025.

More information available The Creative Entanglement Collaboratory Website, launching late September, 2025

TORONTO / BOOK/ZINE LAUNCH + EXHIBITION

Book Launch + Exhibition: October 2025

SEEN THROUGH RED co-presented with Art Metropole, opening October 16, 2025

“Seen Through Red is an exhibition and publishing project by Jordan King, consisting of three distinct book works published by Art Metropole and an exhibition in Art Metropole’s project space. Drawing upon archival material in her personal collection, King presents Polaroids, photographs, ephemera, and press clippings from the years 2000–2006, facilitating an exploration of personal histories of photography and trans visual agency.”

Seen Through Red will be completed in 2025 and published by Art Metropole.

Publications include:

Artist Book, Original Ephemera Edition. 12” X 12” 50 page hand-bound and hand-assembled book, which will be displayed as an exhibited item in Art Metropole’s gallery space from Oct 2025 to Dec 2025, curated by Dallas Fellini. An original artwork in the form of a handbound book, featuring archival photographs, archival newsprint, and handwritten text. The Seen Through Red Original Ephemera Edition features a laser-cut red transparent acrylic cover and O-Ring binding in a handcrafted storage box

Special Edition, 9” X 9”, 24 pages. A special edition handbound book of photographs and printed text. Each features a laser-cut red transparent acrylic cover and O-Ring binding in a handcrafted storage box. Edition of 3.

Zine: Seen Through Red. 5” X 8”, 36 pages. A risograph printed booklet featuring reproductions of nightlife posters and flyers (2001–2003) and archival photographs. Accompanied by essays from Jordan King and Dallas Fellini. Edition of 100.

Pre-orders begin September 17, 2025, at Art Metropole.

TORONTO / EXHIBITION

Exhibition: December 2025

DOUBLE NEGATIVE, Gallery 44 Contemporary Photography Gallery, Toronto

I will exhibit a large format photo series titled “ Double Negative “ in the Gallery 44 vitrines from December 2025 - January 2026*. The series is being developed as part of my residency period at Gallery 44, during which I have documented a new performance work using medium format analogue film photography. I will utilize the Gallery 44 dark room to create the photo prints which will be exhibited in this series. Double Negative explores visual access points to my performance, staged in a gallery setting, with both the documentation and embodiment key components of my artistic research.

***Photo Negative #2.*** 2025. (6cm X 6cm film negative)

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SUMMER 2025

June 10, 2025

June 26 - 29, 2025: 70th Flaherty Film Seminar: Toronto Pod

Cinecycle at 401 Richmond, 401 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON

FLAHERTY PODS: TORONTO 🇨🇦

Join me as one of three local co-hosts (along with Theo Cuthand and Zinnia Naqvi) for the 70th Flaherty Film Seminar Pod in Toronto from June 26-29, 2025, presented in partnership with Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre (CFMDC) at Cinecycle. Screenings will take place in the Cinecycle Space at 401 Richmond, with individually curated programs on each day of the seminar (Thursday June 26, 7PM, Friday June 27, 7PM, Sat June 28 2PM, 730PM, Sun June 29, 2PM, 730PM). Flaherty 2025 Programmers are Janaina Oliveira, Carlos A Guitierrez, Richard Herskowitz.

Flaherty Pods bring the Flaherty Seminar experience to local communities worldwide and create accessible spaces where participants can engage with curated programs and discussions in their own languages and contexts, while connecting to a global film dialogue happening simultaneously across multiple locations. The Toronto Pod offers screenings and discussions led by local curators, artists and scholars. Registration includes five curated programs over four days and access to the Online Experience through July 31.

“'𝐎𝐍𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃!', 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫’𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫, 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐚. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 — 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐦𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐲: 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐮𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐥, 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐦 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭?” (text: The Flaherty Seminar)

“A key ethos of the Flaherty is non-preconception : the belief that discovery begins when we let go of expectations. Entering the Seminar without any prior knowledge of the films invites deeper attention, curiosity, and collective inquiry." (text: The Flaherty Seminar)

Registration is limited to 50 participants. Visit the Flaherty Website for complete details.

September 23, 2025: Screening / Artist Talk at 401 Richmond, Toronto

*Minimum Charge No Cover* (1976) Dir: Janis Cole & Holly Dale

Join me for a Screening and in-person Artist Talk with Director Janis Cole and Gallery 44 Curator Sameen Mahboubi on Tuesday Sept 23, 2025, 7PM at 401 Richmond St West, Toronto.

The program will include Director Janis Cole and Holly Dale’s two earliest short films, Minimum Charge No Cover (1976) and Cream Soda (1975).

We Could Break Performance (FADO Performance Art Centre, Toronto)

I spoke with hosts Vanessa Godden, James Knott and independent curator and independent curator Shalon T Webber-Heffernan for the final We Could Break Performance Podcast, shared to FADO Performance Art’s Website.

Watch We Could Break Performance Final Episode

ERASURE OF URBAN DETRITUS: TORONTO’S SIN STRIP

I have contributed an article titled ERASURE OF URBAN DETRITUS: TORONTO’S SIN STRIP to the November 2025 special issue of peer-reviewed journal Architecture Media Politics & Society (London, UK), which explores the 1977 campaign to clean up Toronto’s Yonge Street Red-Light District.

SPRING 2025

April 07, 2025

EXHIBITION: CONTACT Photography Festival (Toronto, Canada) May 2025

My work has been selected as a Special Project for CONTACT Photography Festival in Toronto, presented in May 2025.

CONTACT Photography Festival Website

“ Since the early 2000s, Canadian artist Jordan King has held onto a collection of Polaroids taken with friends, at nightclubs, onstage, and with her circle of creative collaborators between 1999 and 2004. She found a renewed interest in the format in 2020 upon inheriting from a friend some of the personal effects of legendary 1970s–80s performer International Chrysis, who was connected to King via a New York City apartment they both at one time occupied, though three decades apart. In March 2020, King shot a series of Polaroids with long-time friend Greg Manuel in this apartment, paying homage to Chrysis and the legacy that she left behind after her untimely death in 1990. Revisiting the series for this unique installation on a billboard in Toronto, King reconsiders the intimacy and instantaneity captured by the unique photographic format, recontextualized within the public sphere.”

Presented by CONTACT in partnership with Gallery 44.

Curated by Gallery 44 Curator Sameen Mahboubi.

BLU-RAY RELEASE: Hookers on Davie

Still: *Hookers on Davie* (1984) Directors: Janis Cole & Holly Dale. 2025 Re-release

Available for purchase at Vinegar Syndrome and Videomatica (Vancouver)

“At the height of the ’80s, [filmmakers Janis Cole and Holly Dale turned their lens on Vancouver’s Davie Street neighbourhood, a bustling, neon-soaked hub . . . known as “the prostitution capital of Canada.”

Distributor Canadian International Pictures has released this groundbreaking classic in a new 4K restoration that confirms its place among the greatest non-fiction films ever produced in Canada.

For this special edition Blu-Ray release, I contributed a commentary track for Hookers on Davie as well as Cole and Dale’s first two short films, Minimum Charge, No Cover and Cream Soda, speaking about the significance of these works in Canadian film history.

SCREENING: Hookers on Davie

April 29, 2025 at The Fox Theatre, Toronto, ON

Canadian International Pictures is presenting a special screening of [Hookers on Davie] with filmmakers Janis Cole and Holly Dale in attendance.

BUY TICKETS

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: Gallery 44 Contemporary Photography Gallery

Through December 2025, I’m Artist-In-Residence at Gallery 44 in Toronto.

For the first portion of my residency (February-March) I began digitizing my collection of photographs, posters, flyers, and ephemera from roughly 1999 - 2004. This includes polaroids, photos shot with point and shoot or disposable camera, and hand created/xerox posters for parties, events and performances.

Watch for future updates about in-person artist talks and other public programming and updates in the coming months, OR consider subscribing (form below) for priority invitations sent directly to your inbox.

*Status at 1181* Weekly Event Flyer, 2007

WINTER 2025

January 28, 2025

Upcoming workshop, curated performance series, and residency:

TORONTO / WORKSHOP

I’ll be presenting an in-person workshop at Xpace Cultural Centre on Saturday, Feb 8, at 2PM (MAP):

Flyer Design: https://www.instagram.com/__kaspr/

Rejecting Rejection: Navigating Experiences of Rejection for Emerging Artists

How do emerging artists handle inevitable experiences of rejection as they begin applying to calls, residencies, grants, job applications, and cold-call emails? Developing a thick skin takes time, and every single working artist has experiences of rejection.

In this workshop, multidisciplinary artist Jordan King offers an alternative to thinking of “rejection-as-failure”, instead utilizing it as part of a lifelong artistic process. Even the most successful and well established artists experience rejection!

The workshop will offer concrete takeaways, strategies to prepare for responses on applications, as well as grant writing/time management tips. Rejection can serve as a guide, directing where to focus one’s time + energy, and when it may be time to refocus.

RSVP

TORONTO / CURATED PERFORMANCE SERIES

I’ve curated a series of performances as part of FADO Performance Art Centre’s Emerging Artists & Curators series, titled On View.

Performances will take place at 401 Richmond’s Fourth Floor Commons (MAP)

Saturday Feb 22, Saturday March 1, and Saturday March 8th between 1PM and 5PM. These are not timed performances, rather the artists are on view during this time, with aspects of the performance changing over the course of the afternoon.

Simultaneously, each performance will be streamed to the adjacent Yachir Berex gallery space. You choose - view the performance live, or livestreamed?

The camera takes up a position in the performance space, but this is not a performance for the camera. Is it possible to be oblivious (or obliterate) the impact of the presence of the camera? How might the camera inform considerations for movement, activity, or perhaps lack thereof that you engage in for the performance, while not performing for the camera?

Artist Bios:

甄念菻 / Kendell Yan (she/they) is a multifaceted and multidisciplinary trans girl artist on the precipice of tomorrow. In one hand she holds grace and in the other she holds steadfastness. Emotive, sure and firm, Kendell sings to the tomorrow we all deserve. Combining intergenerational culture and liberationist dreams, Yan strives for a collective future. Take her hand and trust the journey, this is an epic created together.

Performance: Saturday Feb 22, 1:00PM - 5:00PM

Artist talk: Sunday Feb 23 2:00PM

Camille Kiku Belair (they/them) is a composer, classical guitarist and interdisciplinary artist. They are interested in working with field recordings, creating handmade artist books, and exploring connections between music and art making. A graduate of OCAD University’s Interdisciplinary Art, Media and Design MFA program, they previously completed a BMus specialising in composition at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Music, and studied at California Institute of the Arts in both the Performer-Composer and Experimental Sound Practices MFA programs. Current work involves developing handmade book-objects that function as compositional tools and generating grid-based visual patterns from melodies.

Artist talk: Friday Feb 28 5:00PM

Performance: Saturday March 1, 1:00PM - 5:00PM

Brigita Gedgaudas is an emerging, interdisciplinary, trans*, and diasporic-Lithuanian artist working in so-called Toronto. Coalescing from a life-long practice of Lithuanian folk dance, a recent involvement in the Punking/Whacking/Waacking community, and training in new media art and vertical dance techniques — Brigita amalgamates these histories into one human shell. Finding home in a glitch’s persistent ability to reconfigure and reframe a person’s approach to digital systems, Brigita extends this into explorations of the queer body in heteronormative reality. Their work is in constant conversation with trans*mutation, translating the body between physical and digital/human and alien through interactive and immersive installations.

Performance: Saturday March 8, 1:00PM - 5:00PM

Artist talk: Sunday March 9, 2:00PM

More Info

TORONTO / ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

I’m excited to announce that from January to December 2025, I’ll be Artist-In-Residence at Gallery 44 Contemporary Photography Gallery.

The residency period will include two artist talks, tentatively scheduled for early June and early December, where I’ll share about my creative process and exploration in the upcoming year. This includes: my relationship to photographic imagery and self-portraiture, analogue film methods, as well as movement captured on film, including stills from motion picture film.