Slow Art in Fast Times

Slow Art in Fast Times is a visual podcast series exploring the journey of life and essence of creativity in the era of social media & artificial intelligence – in fast times. Hosted by multidisciplinary migrant artist Zed Xu 榛子瞬, the series features seven Aotearoa-based artists, who share time and space across six episodes, bringing to life a series of truthful, insightful and inspiring conversations. 

Our current confirmed guests are: 

• Jefferson Chen (Music)
• Nick Willoughby (Film)
• Steven Junil Park (Textile-multidisciplinary)
• Heidi Chen (Dance, Modelling, Acting).
• Jackson Doudney (Film)
• Wong Liu Shueng (Writing/Research)
• Mathilde Polmard (Interior Design)

This is a project aimed at connecting, communicating with, and uplifting slow art makers not just in Aotearoa New Zealand, but every place one may find themselves making in the world. It represents our shared humanity through the recognition of feeling, effort, failure, and drive. Your support will help fund professional equipment, production costs, and the launch of season 1 in Auckland, NZ.

《 慢艺术与快时间》是一部视觉播客系列，探索在快节奏的社交媒体与人工智能时代中——生命旅程与艺术精髓的实践。由跨界艺术家Zed Xu 榛子瞬 (简称Zed)主持，七位新西兰本土艺术家参与，在六集节目中与Zed分享时空，展开一系列真实、深刻且鼓舞人心的对话。

目前确认出席的嘉宾包括：

• Jefferson Chen（音乐人）
• Nick Willoughby （摄影）
• Steven Junil Park（服装/跨领域艺术家）
• Mathilde Polmard（室内设计师）
• Jackson Doudney （摄影）
• Wong Liu Shueng（作家/研究员）
• Heidi Chen（舞蹈家，演员）。

本项目想与世界各地的慢艺术创作者产生共鸣。通过情感、付出、失败与创作中展现人类共通的精神图景。您的支持将助力我们租专业设备、覆盖制作成本，并推动第一季在新西兰，奥克兰的发布会。

Slow Art in Fast Times  is hosted by migrant multidisciplinary artist Zed Xu 榛子瞬. 

Zed is a filmmaker, abstract painter, and performance artist. With a background in education and film, Zed graduated from Elam School of Fine Arts in 2025 with first-class honours after completing the MFA programme. Their narrative-driven practice champions themes of identity, belonging, and healing through diverse creative expressions and intuitive visual concepts.

Award-winning Cinematographer and Camera Operator Nick Willoughby is joining the crew to document each episode. Having worked with world-renowned Cinematographers and Directors, he brings with him a wealth of knowledge and skill, having worked across feature, drama, documentary, and commercial markets. Nick and Zed have collaboratively worked on 8 projects since 2024, both locally and internationally.

Co-producer Nomuna Amarbat, is a freelance actor/producer/creative based in Tāmaki Makaurau of Mongolian whakapapa. Fuelled by works that sit in the in-between and experimental space, her kaupapa strives to uplift stories that are from Indigenous, POC, and other marginalised voices. She has produced for Kia Mau Festival, Hand Pulled Collective, Basement Theatre, and Auckland Pride, and has worked in marketing with F.O.L.A. [AKL] and NZ International Comedy Festival.

华人跨界艺术家Zed（1993年生于中国, 现居新西兰）以概念抽象绘画，影像艺术和行为表演最为闻名。拥有教育学与电影学背景的Zed于2025年以一等荣誉学位毕业于埃拉姆美术学院，完成艺术硕士课程。其叙事以故事为核心，通过通过多元的创作表达形式和直觉型创作的视觉构思来探索身份认同、归属感与心灵疗愈等主题的艺术构想。

获奖摄影师尼克·伟拉比将加入摄制组，全程记录每集内容。他曾与世界知名摄影师及导演合作，在剧情片、电视剧、纪录片及商业广告领域积累了丰富的经验与专业技能。自2024年以来，尼克与Zed已在国内外合作创作了8个项目。

联合制片人诺穆娜·阿玛巴特是一位演员/制片人/创意工作者，现居奥克兰，祖籍蒙古。她致力于发掘游走于实验性与边缘地带的作品，其创作理念旨在提升原住民、有色人种及其他边缘群体的声音。曾为Kia Mau艺术节、Hand Pulled剧团、地下剧场及Auckland Pride担任制作人，并曾为F.O.L.A. [AKL]及新西兰国际喜剧节从事市场营销工作。

Timeline: 12th Oct - 19th November (38 days)

I am aiming to raise $4500 NZD (10% fee to Boosted) to professionally launch [Slow art…in fast time] - a limited visual podcast series.

The funding will allow the production of a high-calibre project. From professional lighting and camera to sound gear, as well as the time required for research to give each story the attention it deserves. The project will be launched in person in Auckland, New Zealand in 2026, and digitally worldwide.

Here is how the funds will be used: 

• Pre-Production: ~$1000 
• Studio & Gear hire, Crew fee: ~$2400
• Post-Production editing & launch: ~$1000 - $1100

Every dollar raised goes directly towards the delivery of the project, where we are able to build a sustainable creative endeavour that celebrates belonging, contemplation, and connection, as well as ensuring we can reimburse our team and guests’ time and energy

 时间线：10月12日 - 11月19日（38天）

我计划筹集4500新西兰元（含Boosted平台10%手续费），来制作限量版视觉播客系列 [慢艺术与快时间]。

 资金将用于打造高水准项目：配备专业灯光、摄像设备及音频器材，并投入充足时间进行调研，确保每个故事获得应有的关注。项目将在2026年在新西兰奥克兰举行实体发布会，并全球同步上线数字版本。

资金用途明细如下：

•  前期制作: ~1000新西兰元
• 工作室及团队: ~2400新西兰元
• 后期剪辑与发布: ~1000-1100新西兰元

每笔资金都将直接投入项目执行，帮助我们打造这个创意项目，将归属感、冥想与心灵联结。同时确保我们能够补偿团队成员和嘉宾所投入的时间与精力。

From the Creator

Kia ora, hello 大家好,

My name is Zed Xu 榛子瞬, I am the founder and host of visual podcast series：Slow Art in Fast Times .

I realised in meditation recently that I am a maker of slow art. Starting with film work 如梦初醒 Now You See Me, which was initially made in 2020, and completed in 2024. Many of my paintings are layers of one another, where I will paint over the existing work repeatedly. And performance art requires countless hours of preparation, including my own experience of playing the Guzheng since the age of 6… In a way, the making process is also my whole life.

A part of this slowness was due to the initial lack of connection and resources, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Now, as I navigate what it means to be an immigrant artist in a predominantly westernized society, I find myself cherishing this “slowness”. Being away from my family means learning to be resilient and inter-dependent; I returned to school as an adult to pursue advanced studies in art—a fresh start once more. It is in slowness I began to contemplate, to breathe, to feel, and to cherish each and every person that shares their orbit with me. 

Season 1 of Slow Art podcast consists of 7 guests across 6 episodes who come from a vast range of disciplines. From dance to interior design, music to textile, painting to writing/research. I am teaming up with cinematographer and long-time collaborator Nick Willoughby to document each story, as well as working alongside my co-producer, Nomuna, to ensure the admin tasks are shared and the launch goes smoothly. 

My goal is to facilitate a space for communication, contemplation, and empowerment. Where our shared humanity reinforces the light of hope, joy, and love, the very elements that make art possible. 

 大家好

我是Zed，是《 慢艺术与快时间》的创始人兼主持人。

 最近在冥想中我意识到，自己是个慢艺术的创作者。从电影作品《如梦初醒》开始：该片创作于2020年，2024年完成。我的许多画作都是多层叠加的创作，会在现有作品上反复涂绘。现场表演则是台上一分钟，台下十年功。。。某种程度上，创作过程本身就是我的人生。 

这种“慢”一开始是因为缺乏人脉和资源，但这其实是是塞翁失马。如今，当我在以西方文化为主导的社会中探索移民艺术家的身份定位时，反而开始珍惜这份“慢”。远离家人意味着学会在独立中相互扶持；在教育和影视制作领域工作多年后，我作为成年人返校去艺术深造，又一次重新起步。正是在这慢节奏中，我开始冥想，呼吸、感受，珍视每个与我共享生命轨迹的人。

《慢艺术播客》第一季共六集，七位来自不同领域的嘉宾将分享他们的故事——从舞蹈到室内设计，从音乐到纺织，视觉艺术到写作/研究。我与长期合作的摄影师尼克·伟拉比携手记录每个故事，同时与联合制片人诺穆娜共同分担行政事务，确保项目顺利启动。

我的目标是搭建一个促进交流、沉思与赋能的空间。在这里，我们共同的人性将强化希望、喜悦与爱的光芒——正是这些元素让艺术成为可能。

The essence of any artistic practice is storytelling. Storytelling, being a universal mode of expression, is a bridge that connects and allows for community building and spaces for deep contemplation. 

 My team and I are committed to creating projects that not only aid in our artistic growth, but also facilitate a space of connection and contemplation with others. This podcast series is a tangible way to contribute meaningfully to the arts, through high-quality visual documentation and deep dialogues that echo our humanity and what it means to create “slow art” in “fast times”.

 Supporting this project means supporting honest, effort-led creative projects that are made with openness, joy, and love. This project is one example of work that has the potential to inspire and impact audiences both locally and internationally. We want our community to join us on this journey: to help bring the project to life, to witness our growth, and to support a vision focused on togetherness, creativity, and humanity. 

With your help, we can continue to create slow art, in fast times. 

任何艺术实践的本质都是讲故事。作为一种普遍的表达方式，讲故事是连接人与人、构建社群的桥梁，也是引发深度思考的空间。

我和团队致力于打造既能促进艺术成长，又能与他人建立联结与思考空间的项目。本播客系列正是通过高质量的视觉记录与深度对话，以切实方式为艺术注入意义——这些对话映照着人性本质，诠释着“快节奏时间”中创作“慢艺术”的真谛。

支持本项目便是支持那些以真诚、努力为驱动来创作的项目们。此项目正是具有潜力的典范之作，有望激发并影响全球各地的观众。在此诚邀社群同行，亲朋好友们：请助我们一臂之力，让这个项目落地生根，一起来见证我们的成长历程，共同守护以共融、创造力与人文关怀为核心的愿景。

有您的帮助，我们方能在“快时间”里继续创造“慢艺术”。