Self-published
Introduction by Elsa Pantopoulou
Still Human Zine. Box set
Handmade edition
Created on March 2023
Fragile Love
This limited edition box set includes a handmade zine and a curated collection of original printed objects, each crafted to underscore the vulnerability and emotional fragility of the couple’s relationship portrayed within.
The set contains:
One original photograph printed on archival paper, dimensions 12.7 x 17.8 cm. A poster printed on velvet paper 120gr, dimensions 29.7 x 42 cm (A3). Three velvet paper postcards (150gr), dimensions 10.5 x 14.7 cm. Each object was carefully designed to complement and expand the emotional core of the photographic narrative, a story of love tested by hardship, resistance, and emotional exposure. Their textures, materials, and printing methods were chosen not merely for aesthetics, but to echo the couple’s delicate, uncertain intimacy.
Zine Details: Pages: (17 + 8). Dimensions: 18 x 13.5 cm. Language: Greek / English. Printed via photocopy process. Jacket: Munken Lynx 350gr. Interior pages: Magno Matt Volume 150gr. This zine narrates a love story shaped by struggle, the quiet, daily resistance of two people living on the margins, confronting cruelty, collapse, and yet, holding on to each other. It presents raw human experiences that often go unseen: degradation, despair, tenderness, devotion. The photographs are accompanied by handwritten texts and drawings given to me by the couple themselves. These elements are presented as a separate chapter, bound inside the zine using a rubber band, a detail that replicates the way they were originally handed to me, preserving their intimate spontaneity. All design, construction, and binding were carried out by me. Texts: Dina Botsa & Elsa Pantopoulou. Graphic design: Nikos Theodorou @delta_kapa. The materials were not chosen arbitrarily. The soft cardboard jacket, with its tendency to reveal folds and imperfections in black and white ink, reflects the tender imperfections of the story itself, a visual metaphor for fragility, survival, and deeply human love.
Flipping through the zine of the Still Human story
This special edition of Still Human is presented through a series of videos that highlight both the contents of the collector’s box and the making process behind the zine itself. A dedicated video walks you through the handmade zine, from the selection and purchase of paper, to cutting, folding, binding, and final packaging. Each stage is documented with the same care and attention given to the making of the object.
Particular emphasis is placed on the creation of a custom cutting tool used to craft three cardboard hearts included inside the zine. These hearts are symbolic, referencing those gifted to me by the person who inspired this edition.
The choice of materials and printing techniques are intrinsically linked to the subject matter. For the cover (jacket), a soft cardboard was chosen, one that captures creases and imperfections in black and white ink. These intentional “flaws” underline the vulnerability and sensitivity of the narrative and serve as a tribute to the human experience the zine seeks to convey.