"HERE AND NOW” is a photographic picture book that combines the poem by Shuntaro Tanikawa and photographs by Rinko Kawauchi. This book was created based on the lyrics written by Tanikawa for Ikuko Harada’s song, “HERE AND NOW” which emerged from the planetarium program, “Colors of the Dark” screened at The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan). Harada’s song, “HERE AND NOW” was included in her first solo album in 15 years released this year, and features voices of 0 to 91 years old, readings by Tanikawa himself, breath sounds, heartbeats, sounds composed by rei harakami, resulting in an 11.5 min epic musical piece. The project for a “book” kicked off when Harada visited Kawauchi’s photographic exhibition, “M/E: On this sphere Endlessly interlinking” when creating the music. In this photographic picture book “HERE AND NOW” composed by Kawauchi herself so that the words and images respond to each other, its art director, Hideyuki Saito’s design leads the flow of the pages with each word encompassing a rhythm. As a fundamental poem, “HERE AND NOW” allows us to question one’s own existence, while also leaving room for a broad understanding of the piece. Layered with a series of fresh photographs from which we can feel our natural breath in tranquility, it guides us to a journey transcending time and space, while standing beside us.
