Now
 
The existence of things relies on context. We are constantly referencing the constructed landmarks in time or quantifying time in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, and decades. There are also indexical terms that serve as referential points for our social endeavors, such as 'now.'
 
Today’s perception of time has shifted to one of constant revision and quantification. The term 'now' is excessively used across media in our current society. It aims to demarcate a precise moment in time. 'Now', as an isolated term, acts as a highlighter of realness, newness, and importance. Its immediate nature implies a sense of urgency - a word that anticipates action. Nevertheless, the illusion of the present- aspect of 'now' can be considered false, as by the time you finish thinking or reading, it already belongs to the past.
 
Just as the 'now' is doomed to become 'then,' this book aims to generate interactions in various contexts that emerge from a constant interplay of time travel and conceptual contradiction. Ultimately, it explores the potential resurrection of the present moment once it arrives at your own 'now.'
 
We propose the following questions: What is our relation to the term 'now'? How do we respond to it as contributors, and how do we contextualize it as recipients?
 
Vacuum sealing was invented in the 1950s to extend the shelf life of meat products. The current issue, however, involves removing the air from the space around the pages and then sealing them with heat to prevent air from entering. Once opened, each page becomes independent and is released from the others, forming a whole in itself—free to be inspected, interacted with, observed, or isolated. Each page is a 'now,' and together they constitute a collective 'now.'
 
Contributors: Rund Alarabi, Catalina Bauer, Elena Berriolo, Melissa Boucher, Claudia Chaseling, Yen-ting Hsu, Gyun Hur, Sareh Imani, Edwina Portocarrero, Luv Valladolid, Vânia Doutel Vaz, Lu Zhang.
 
Text: Furen Dai, Daniela Stubbs-Leví
 
Vacuum sealed
Each of 31 pages
105# Cover Parchment • White
6 x 6 in.
2023
Edition of 100
 
Published by current press
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