Fotolini
The Love Issue
Fotolini is a new underground photozine. It is very similar to Dog Food Photozine. Not so surprising since Arjen Zwart, co-founder of Dog Food, is one of the creators of Fotolini. The others are photo historian Hedy van Erp, artist Esther Zitman and photographer Sjef van Duin. The Fotolini manifesto is the same as that of Dog Food: blending vintage photography with irony and unexpected modern twists. Dog Food will presents its last ever issue at the end of 2024. Which will be dedicated to the great Swiss-American photographer Robert Frank. Celebrating the centennial of Robert Frank’s birth. I think Fotolini will be a worthy successor to Dog Food.
Just like in Dog Food every issue of Fotolini has a number of regular sections. It contains a remarkable lonely-hearts section, and a guest chooses a favorite photo book cover that fits the theme best. In the first issue we get Eastern Europe lonely hearts using their best shots to advertise themselves on the love market. Favorite photo book cover is Until Death Do Us Part by collector Thomas Sauvin. It is a mini book packaged in a cigarette pack. It shows pictures of Chinese weddings where brides would light a cigarette for each male guest and newlyweds played smoking games to celebrate their union.
In this first issue of Fotolini the theme is love. Love, the most overused theme in art history. But here it is given an unique twist. Here we get vintage postcard scenes edited by Esther Zitmat, creating couples who may never have met. Pictures of men in uniform. Secret messages hidden under stamps, just to save 3 cents on the stamp on every postcard. A story about a couple who were fans of Clauce Francois. A mother who accidentally decpativated her children on the negative. And pictures of brides who don’t look so happy.
The Love Issue
First issue of Fotolini
Edited by Sjef van Duin, Hedy van Erp, Arjen Zwart and Esther Zitman
Self-published in 2024
Photozine, A5-format,