【FOCUS IT.】What is Haru's impression of Sheep Literature? What ideas did you get from "Secret Garden" inspired by Sheep Literature - 12 hugs (like butterflies)" in Jimbocho?

New Gallery" in Jimbocho, Tokyo, is currently holding the exhibition "Secret Garden" inspired by Sheep Literature - 12 hugs (like butterflies)", in which the delicate and powerful sounds of Sheep Literature are incorporated into an installation space. Butterflies)" is currently being held.

The project was undertaken by haru., editor-in-chief of HIGH(er) magazine, which is an independent magazine, and leader of "HUG," a creative collective mainly for the millennial generation.

She has been in charge of artwork for sheep literary works such as "To the Young People" and "our hope," and in this exhibition, various artworks are displayed based on the music of "12 hugs (like butterflies)" released last year, and they are organically connected, The organic connection of these works enhances the appeal of the space as a whole.

We interviewed her to get a glimpse of the ideas that were born through the dialogue with the members of Sheep Literature. We asked her to share her thoughts on the band, the difficulties in realizing them, and what she wants to communicate through the exhibition.

Text_TSUJI
Edit_Yosuke Ishii

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haru. / Creative Director
While a student at Tokyo University of the Arts, he launched the independent magazine "HIGH(er) magazine" and served as its editor-in-chief. After graduating from the university, he established the creative company "HUG. He also directed the exhibition "Secret Garden inspired by Sheep Literature - 12 hugs (like butterflies)".

I have always had the feeling that we are people living in the same era.

I heard that your connection with sheep literature was born when you had a conversation with Moeka Shiotsuka in a magazine.

haru.: Yes, that's right. Moeka-san had asked me to be her interlocutor, but I don't remember what we talked about at that time. I remember that I arrived very late at the meeting place, but....

You wrote about it in the "letter" handed out at the exhibition. It also says, "Her large, melancholy eyes left a strong impression on me.

haru.: He seems quiet, but I really felt that he has something to say.

Is that how you got close to each other so quickly?

haru.: I had a good friend, Mariko Kobayashi, who was a photographer who took pictures of sheep literature. Later, I had a chance to meet Moeka through her, and I was there when she took the cover photo for "To the Young People".

The shoot at that time had a very DIY feel to it, with kika, who was in charge of hair and makeup for the band, doing the styling, and I was aware of my position as a designer, but I did not expect to be involved in art direction as well, and everyone's roles were ambiguous in a good sense. I was impressed by the fact that everyone was thinking about what would be interesting rather than sticking to their titles.

I see. So rather than suddenly approaching each other, you slowly developed a mutual empathy.

haru.: I think so. I have always had the sense that we are people living in the same era, rather than friends.

The live performance was complete, but I wanted to blur the contours more.

What is your impression of the band Sheep Literature?

haru.:When I listen to the music, I am made to feel various emotions. In this day and age, there are moments when I feel upbeat about the future, but there are also times when I don't. I think this band embodies such "waves. I think the band embodies such "waves. I can sympathize with such instability, or rather, I feel comfortable with it.

When I think about artwork, I can communicate with them when I talk with them. I have the opportunity to work with a variety of artists, and if our sensibilities are fundamentally different, we don't get along. This often makes dialogue difficult, but I have never felt that with the members of Hitsuyo Bungaku.

When I talked to them about the album, I had a sense of a link between the world I have seen and the scenery the members see. Talking with the girls, I could easily come up with ideas of what kind of jackets would be good for the album.

When you heard "12 hugs (like butterflies)," the subject of this exhibition, what feelings came to mind?

haru.: When I heard your previous album "our hope", I thought it was a very outward-looking work. The jacket was also composed in such a way that your eyes meet for a moment with a person looking at you from a car. I wanted to capture that moment, but this album is more like looking back at the time that is passing inside of me rather than a moment. By stopping and confronting myself, I can finally move on to the next. I remember being attracted to that kind of introspection.

In order to express this in the space, you have set up a stage called "garden" this time.

haru.: When I was asked to participate in this project, in order to give form to the introspective image I had when I heard "12 hugs (like butterflies)," I initially wanted to create a space with a curtain hanging from the ceiling in which people could hug themselves.

I think of it as a kind of spatialization of the mind.

haru.: Yes, that's right. I was thinking about it around the end of last year, when I wanted to cherish the time to turn my mind inward seasonally. However, the actual exhibition period is from the end of May to July 7, and I thought that the way the album would be perceived would change by then. So I thought, "How about creating an exhibition centered on songs from the album that make us feel positive? The idea was born, "How about building an exhibition around a song that makes you feel positive? and we decided to build the exhibition around the song "GO!

GO!" also has the keyword "door. Moeka-san said that there is an image of moving forward from there, and the image of taking a step forward to the next world came to me at first. That is also where the key visual of the hinges comes from.

Based on this image, I thought, "What kind of space can express that? I decided to make it a "garden. The live performance space where the band interacts with fans is a completed space, but I wanted to blur the outlines of the space more.

I feel that there is a gap between the way we want people to see us and the way we actually are, and that although people sometimes focus on the fragility of young women, there is hope that people will see a stronger version of themselves.

The image of the band that you have created up to now and the true image of the members. You wanted to express the space between the two as a "garden"?

haru.: Yes, that's right. A garden is not a public space, but it is also not a private space like an indoor space. I thought it would be interesting to have fans wander into such an ambiguous place.

When I actually visited the exhibition hall, I was impressed by the people who were looking at the exhibition at a leisurely pace and from a distance of their own choosing. Perhaps it was just a coincidence, but most of the visitors were in the same age group as Mr. Shiotsuka and Mr. Haru, and I had the impression that they were living their lives with some feelings.

haru.: In creating this garden, I was greatly influenced by the book "The Garden in Motion" by Gilles Clément. When I read that book, I felt that bands are living creatures, too. I feel that the place that Sheep Literature is in now is not necessarily because they want to be there. No one can control that. The band exists, the fans exist, and new works are created in response to their wishes. The number of staff members supporting the band has also increased, and the band is changing its shape and form.

We refer to the artists who created the works in this exhibition as "gardeners," and we can only make minor changes to them so that they can perform comfortably. The form of the work, whether good or bad, changes in ways we cannot imagine, but we tend to it as if we hope that the band will continue to play music. We were discussing with the artists and thinking about the exhibited works together with that kind of prayer as the basis.

In the sense of people tending to what they cannot control, I think the fans are like gardeners. I was anxious about what fans would think when they came to the venue, but I was very happy to receive DMs from them saying, "I stayed for quite a long time.

I want to remind you of something like moderation and appropriateness.

The work on display is based on the 12 songs in "12 hugs (like butterflies)", right?

haru.: That's right. We first thought about what form the output would take for each song, and then assigned the most suitable artist to work as the gardener.

The "Letter" has an illustration of your work. Did you have an idea first?

haru.: That's right. I drew that illustration, and I sent the rough sketch to each gardener to have them work on it. Some of them I have worked with before, and some of them I have not.

I thought it was great that there were works that could be enjoyed by looking at and listening to, but also works that could be taken home with you.

haru.: I had that in mind from the beginning. When I listen to the music, I feel like I am constantly being asked, "Well, what are you going to do? I felt like Moeka was asking me, "Don't just listen to the music and feel good. I feel as if Moeka is saying to me, "Don't just listen to the music and feel good. I think it is important to think about what to do from there. So, what will the person who takes home the work do with the life of the main character? I want people to think about it, not just be passive about it. That is what I am trying to express.

What was the reaction of the members to the exhibition?

haru.: When I first told them my idea, they listened to my proposal with excitement and said, "That's what's going to happen! They listened to my proposal with excitement. The "GO! I was very happy to see that they were willing to be involved in the space, even if only a little.

Would you like to do it again?

haru.: I wonder if I can do it (laughs)? I don't think I would try to do exactly the same thing, but I thought the power of music is really amazing. I mean, it has the potential to create space. I just gave the sketches to the gardeners and talked to them. When I saw the finished product, I found that the gardeners had added their own interpretations, and I myself discovered a lot. I think that the gardeners' interpretations are expressed in the smallest details, which collectively make something worth seeing. But I don't know if I can do the same thing again.

Lastly, do you have a message for visitors and those who are thinking of coming to the show?

haru.: There is a recording of a conversation between the members and myself at the venue, and as you can see in the recording, I would be happy if people think, "It's okay to be like this. There are too many things in today's world that "should be this way. I think there are many things that don't actually have to be that way.

When I met Moeka for the first time, I was late, and seeing me not seeming to mind at all, Moeka told me that she thought it was okay to be late.

I didn't intend it that way, but I think Moeka felt comfortable with that part of me and the fact that everyone around me was thinking, "Oh well. When you come to the exhibition, I want you to remember that kind of moderately appropriate attitude.

I think we all have feelings that are not beautiful. When I listen to sheep literature, I feel that I don't have to make it something that doesn't exist. I was talking with the members about how we wanted to make this exhibit a place where people could feel that. When you see out-of-spec vegetables for sale, even though they are not so beautiful and have mud on them, you can't help but think, "Well, let's try them. I hope it will become a place where people can remember that kind of thing.