*the seed* is an experimental project, meaning that we give ourselves permission to test the waters and see where the current takes us. *the seed* is also a zine, which suggests something both unpretentious and grassroots — it's most definitely a labor of love!

The first issue is on the minimalist side, with a total of 19 pages nonetheless! We avoided big blocks of text and leaned into finding creative solutions to allow the artists to express themselves without having to produce new work. We also elected not to systematically showcase an artist's latest project as a way of jumping off the cultural treadmill which has conditioned us to focus almost exclusively on "what's new" and "what's next". As a result, *the seed*, which we envisage as a quarterly publication, will hopefully convey a certain quality of timelessness.

This issue is a collective invitation to catch our breath and celebrate the beauty that has been brought forth by a diverse group of amazing artists from all over the world: Lammetje, Liam Egan, Ciput, Elsif & Clint Fulkerson. Instead of asking the typical interview questions, we invited each artist to introduce themselves using a text based recording device which allows the reader to witness the workings of the artist's mind. The result feels both lighthearted and intimate.

The edition size is 128 and statistically one in five coverpages will be an animated collage created using the artwork of one of our five artists. No two coverpages are alike as the seed differs for each collage. This might be less apparent if the project is only examined through thumbnails. Please take the time to explore all of the interactive features of *the seed* on full screen.

*the seed* was made with C++ and OpenGL and converted to the web via Emscripten.

Thank you for reading this metadata and for coming on this journey with us!