‘Full of life, excessive, erotic, ironic and creative without any limits… the parallels between imagination and reality are numerous. Many visitors… dream of being the queen of the ball, at least for one night, and to be chosen by their prince. The game of truth and deception; the flight from reality and the possibility to become someone else behind fantastic costumes and masquerade; the quest [for] a sexual identity or the denial of such, the principle of hope, wish for a better future – and last but not least, the longing for a happy end – all these are issues which connect the Life Ball to the Fairy Tale’
Gery Keszler, founder and organiser of Life Ball and chairman of Aids Life describing Vienna’s Life Ball to OUTinPerth’s Megan Smith
Life Ball will overtake Vienna on May 26th for Europe’s largest AIDS charity event, not to mention one hell of a party. Vienna, as Mr. Keszler explained, is the perfect setting for the event because it is ‘a city of great beauty and joie de vivre. It is truly an imperial city, full of romance and contemporary spirit. This lively metropolis guarantees first-class entertainment, an abundance of art treasures, and a sophisticated gay community’.
With a long history of high society and high fashion, Vienna has been home to 15 years of Life Ball extravaganzas. We asked Mr. Keszler how this fashion festival with a social conscience got its start:
‘I made vacations with Thierry Mugler and his team and he promised to make me a fashion show if I [made] a charity event in Vienna. At the same time, one of my bet friends got infected. With him, I founded Aids Life. He is the reason that the first Life Ball was not a one-shot event’.
However, Life Ball is more than a charity fundraiser. Celebrities and decadence have always been a part of Viennese culture, and Life Ball is no exception. ‘Since the beginning’, Mr. Keszler explained, ‘famous personalities have supported the charitable cause… In the last two years, these guests were Sharon Stone, Sir Elton John, Naomi Campbell, Heidi Klum, Anastacia, Liza Minnelli, Catherine Deneuve, and many others. With their performances and personal engagement, the participating artists [are] an important sign for life and against prejudices’. This year features another who’s who lineup, including the design duo from Heatherette, the beloved musicians Scissor Sisters, and amfAR (American Foundation for AIDS Research) Chairman Sharon Stone.
Last year, the event raised a net proceed of 1,111,000 Euros. This year seems on pace to raise a similar figure, and with half going to Aids Life for AIDS programmes in Austria and the other half ‘support[ing] initiatives to fight AIDS in some of the worst affected countries in the world’, that would be a very happy ending to the fairy tale.
For more on Life Ball, visit their website www.lifeball.org. For traveller information on Vienna and Australia, visit www.wien.info.
