The Closest Place to Heaven

The Insane Asylum Next to Heaven

French philosopher Michel Foucault argued in Madness and Civilization that madness is not fixed—it’s a label society uses to define “normal.” Who decides what’s sane?

In The Insane Asylum Next to Heaven, four “inmates”—A (ignored), B (timid), C (kind but naive), D (quick-witted)—and odd outsiders like Deputy E (panicked by cancelled meetings), student F (crushed by exams), and lawyer G (spinning English tall tales) collide in an absurd world. Laughter erupts, but deep loneliness lingers beneath.

Photography by Teddy Ng