# HIV HEROES

#52 / 05 / 2015
#hivheroes

HIV doesn’t make
the news anymore
Today, however, you have the chance
to take the issue into your own hands.
That’s because we believe it needs
to be talked about much more.
The stigma surrounding HIV continues to be
a topic that cannot be ignored.
Despite thirty years of campaigning to halt its spread,
the epidemic continues to grow.
In Europe and Central Asia, there were 80 per cent
more new cases of HIV in 2013 compared to 2004.*
Because HIV is talked about less, the less
of a danger it seems, and the more risks people take.
Also, because it's talked about less, the more shameful
it seems to those who carry the virus.
This month we INJECTED THE Vangardist presses with
the blood of three HIV-positive donors.
A limited edition of 2500 copies of the magazine was printed with it.
(To see how it happened visit www.vangardist.com)
This copy, however, was not. Even if it were,
there would still be no risk to you or your friends –
Just like there is no danger
in shaking the hand of an HIV-positive person.
The virus can only be spread through sexual contact,
needles or live blood entering open wounds.
Yet people are still afraid of getting close to those living with HIV
because they still don’t know enough about it:
It is because of these fears that not all copies of this edition
were printed in such a bold manner.
Today, some people with HIV are concerned about
alienating their loved ones.
Others worry about losing their jobs if an
employer learns of their illness.
Some countries even criminalize HIV-positive people.
These fears stop INDIVIDUALS FROM SEEKING the support they need.
For all these reasons, VANGARDIST would like to
reignite the conversations
about HIV – free from taboo
and discrimination.
* WHO Regional Office for Europe and ECDC - Joint Press Release: “Europe’s HIV
response falls short in curbing epidemic:
80% more new HIV cases compared to 2004.”, 27 NOVEMBER, 2014.

Leading by example, we can all become champions
by improving the lives of those
living with HIV and those living with the danger
of contracting the virus.
Our publication will carry this message over the coming months
AND GIVE IT PARTICULAR ATTENTION IN THIS #HIVHEROES EDITION.
By buying this magazine you HAVE ALREADY BECOME a hero.
All donations raised will go to organizations focused
on equal opportunities for those living with HIV,
from fairer access to health care to combatting
By taking up this issue,
and by helping to keep it
on people’s minds,
it is quite possible –
given current medical
advances – that one day
HIV/AIDS may never make
the press again.
social prejudice and discrimination.
Encourage others to also
become heroes
by sharing this edition and
making their own statement
against HIV stigma.
Make a donation and get a limited edition copy of
Vangardist printed with the blood of HIV-positive people. or simply
check out this digital editionto see how the issue was made.
HELP BRING US CLOSER TO A WORLD FREE FROM
THE SOCIAL STIGMA OF HIV BY SEARCHING FOR OUR
HASH TAG AND LIKING THE HIVHEROES FACEBOOK PAGE.​
www.HIVHEROES.org

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* Für ULTIMUNE, gesamt zum 1. August 2014.
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Become
an HIV-
Hero!
Now, the issue is in your hands,... almost.
Get a copy of the limited edition, printed
with the blood of HIV+ people and
support our cause.
to find your exclusive copy – check out
www.vangardist.com/PRINT
Get the Print Issue >>

Become
an HIV-
Hero!
Now, the issue is in your hands,... almost.
Get a copy of the limited edition
and support our cause.
to find your exclusive copy – check out
www.vangardist.com/PRINT
Get the Print Issue >>

Editorial
Imprint:
Publisher: VANGARDIST MEDIA GmbH
Editor-In-Chief and Management: Julian Wiehl
Copy Editor: Klemens Gindl
Editorial staff: Julian Behrenbeck, Klemens Gindl,
Hendrik H., Philipp Spiegel, Tobias Seebacher,
Wiltrut Stefanek, Wyndham Mead
Illustration: Magdalena Weyrer
Photography: André Gehrmann, Daniel Gottschling,
Darius Lucaciu, Shlomit Migay, Sam Scott Schiavo
Translation: Lisa Voigt
Proofreading: Jay Bannmuller, Erin Troseth
Production & Styling: Mirza Sprecakovic
Production assistant: Victoria Abulesz, Vladimir
Satric, Liqiao Zhu
Graphics and Layout: Magdalena Weyrer
Graphics assistant: Julian Behrenbeck
Editing: Cristóbal Hornito
Making of: Tamara Pichler
Sincere thanks to all who, through their tireless efforts,
have helped to produce this very special edition.
VANGARDIST MEDIA GmbH
Mariahilfer Straße 49 Top 15
1060 Vienna
office@vangardist.com
Dear VANGARDISTS!
Welcome to the #HIVHEROES Edition!
Yes, we've printed 2,500 copies of this edition using ink mixed with the blood
of HIV-positive people, and no, you can't get infected from it, but beware: Your
thoughts might get stimulated.
The #HIVHEROES Edition is our statement to fight the stigma that many people
living with HIV face day after day. Overcoming the fear of talking about HIV
or telling somebody that you’re positive still takes bravery. So with this issue we
want to unlock the Hero in every one of us.
If you’re holding the "infected" print edition in your hands right now, you’ll
get into contact with HIV like never before. You might have been embarrassed
at first. And as you opened the wrapper you might have felt a bit of that fear
mentioned above. As the blood used as ink has been sterilized by pasteurization,
the virus is unquestionably dead. But it will make you reflect on HIV and
you will think differently afterwards. Because now the issue is in your hands.
Personally, I’ve always been afraid of becoming infected with HIV, and in
thinking about this, something very important came to my mind: I didn’t fear
the health issues as much as I feared a life of social exclusion and the absence
of intimate contact with anybody.
Sadly, rejection and stigma are created by society, which means by every one
of us. So it is up to us, the HIV-negative ones, to speak out about this topic. We
can start a conversation and make our statement without fearing any negative
consequences. The easier it is to live with HIV, the more people will dare to
get themselves tested and seek medical treatment, and the more lives can be
saved this way.
We need to take responsibility and be the Heroes we always wanted to be.
Thank you for joining our cause!
Julian Wiehl and the progressive VANGARDIST team

SHOOTINGS
INDEX
facade
red 68
topics
COVER
STORY
EDITORIAL 15
facade
'94 100
radar
wrath of god 20
And why it prevents us from talking
about HIV
the campaign
foR the good cause 46
Diary of a hard fight
facade
Editor's Choice 96
Style tip
facade
Shopzone 132
advertorial
conchita's Vienna 110
A walk around town with Austria’s
most important voice
the campaign
Hard facts about HIV 66
the campaign
the blood donors 58
facade
i am not a terrorist 32
vangART
deep throat 118
Ein Interview mit Filius de Lacroix
the campaign
when do I tell her? 84
The implications of an HIV-positive hetero life
advertorial
humans need heroes 92
Destination Madrid

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20
radar
wrath
o f
God
And why it prevents us
from talking about HIV
Text: klemens gindl
illustration: Magdalena Weyrer
HIV is a punishment from God—if you believe
in him that is. Or rather, if you’re the
kind of person who believes in what the
god depicted by the Bible represents: an
archaic, patriarchal idea of society carried
over from the distant past into our
21st century. For everyone else, HIV is a
disease, admittedly a fucked up one, but
a mere illness nonetheless. We might all
be quick to think that as privileged, well
informed representatives of the so-called
First World, we’re above these types of
stone-age ideas and know that of course
HIV is an illness like any other, and we
congratulate anyone who truly and honestly
believes this. Apparently not too many
people share this belief though, because
even in this day and age, people who test
HIV positive are confronted by a serious
social stigma, and yes, this is also the case
in Western countries. So in view of this fact,
we decided to do a bit of research into questions
like how it’s possible even for nonreligious
people to think like conservative
pricks and how this is linked to the fact that
HIV/AIDS remains a taboo topic.

22
The scourge
of humanity
Let’s start by saying this: For a considerable
part of humanity, the effect of
HIV/AIDS does indeed have apocalyptic
dimensions. In Africa, the most
direly affected continent, Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome is responsible
for the death of entire communities,
and we’re not talking about in
the 1990s, or 30 years from now, but
right this moment! South of the Sahara
more than 22 million people are HIV
positive, but it can be assumed that
there’s a considerable number of unreported
cases. In countries like Botswana,
Namibia or South Africa, almost
a quarter of the population is affected
by the disease and, unfortunately,
most are from younger generations,
less than 60 years old. Forget Ebola,
even forget all the wars being waged
from Donetsk to Aleppo and from
Kirkuk to Benghazi at the moment,
because after hunger and typhus, HIV
is probably still the worst scourge of
present-day humanity. Currently, only
Western societies are exempt from
this truth, but that doesn’t mean we’re
forever safe from this threat. Because
although we should be humbly grateful
for our privileged situation in light
of how infinitely vast the suffering is in
developing and emerging countries,
we in the West still haven’t conquered
the underlying cause of the problem
of HIV/AIDS—one that doesn’t have a
medical solution, but is instead deeply
rooted in our society.
Doomsday scenario
Apart from a lack of material resources
to fight and prevent the virus, the
reason for the epidemic’s unparalleled
spread amongst the poorest of the
world has always been the fact that this
disease is something that’s not talked
about because it’s still treated as a taboo:
because for many people, what
shouldn’t exist simply cannot possibly
exist. The fear of massive discrimination
and stigmatization understandably
reduces people’s willingness to be
tested, which is especially damaging
since, in order to curb the pandemic, it
is vital to deal with the disease openly.
But while in the West, the doomsday
scenarios hawked by the fearmongering
mass media in the 80s and 90s led
to relatively effective education on
this topic, in the Third World, HIV has
been able to spread almost uncontrollably
over two decades. In Western
countries, HIV has always been a tricky
topic as well though, and the disease
still comes attached with a certain
stigma; even though from a medical
viewpoint it’s not actually that big of a
deal anymore, people suffering from
it will still think twice before openly
talking about it. And so while we’re
congratulating ourselves on being so
super-educated on the topic, we tend
to forget that all the knowledge in the
world isn’t actually worth much if you
have to keep silent about it. The fact

24
is that after overcoming our doomsday
fears, recent years have seen the return
of a certain tabooing trend in AIDSrelated
matters. Some reasons behind
this may be from ignorance, because
we think HIV is no longer relevant, or
may be from the fact that we’ve gotten
used to it and look to something more
spectacular and new like Ebola to be
scared of. The main reason, however,
still is that it’s a disease we’ve never actually
felt comfortable talking about.
5,000 years of patriarchy
It might be asking a bit much to expect
a radical change in social structures
within just a few decades, but
one thing is certain: The stigmatization
of HIV/AIDS predominantly has to
do with sexual morals, which explains
why it’s still such a taboo topic. Consequently,
both this illness and the question
of how we should deal with it have
the power to shake society to its very
foundations. This may sound like nothing
more than a casually made claim,
but in this case you better believe it:
When we say “foundations” we really
mean foundations. Because even
though the established order has often
taken quite an existential battering as
a result of the 20th century’s major new
occurrences like industrialization, capitalism,
liberalism and the sexual revolution,
it would still be an illusion to think
that we have managed to overcome
5,000 years of patriarchy in just a few
decades. As patriarchy is at the core
of all conservative concepts of society,
the sexual morals that come with it are
the ultimate condition for its existence.
Bible, Shakespeare,
Game of Thrones
How come though? Male rule is far
from being a law of nature. Quite the
opposite actually. It’s dependent on
cleverly devised cultural techniques
and, more than anything, on fairly strict
regulations of what’s sexually permitted
and what becomes ostracized. And
this has one very simple reason: For a
long time in our civilization’s history it
was basically impossible to deliver safe
proof of paternity, which, in a society
based on the hereditary transmission of
power, status, wealth and identity from
a male to his male heir, is absolutely essential.
Anyone who’s ever read the Bible
or Shakespeare, or watched Game
of Thrones, knows the implications that
being born a bastard used to have.
While the mother was nearly always
easy to identify, our sperm donor could
be any random bloke; the only way to
ensure some certainty on these matters
was the implementation of strict

26
behavioural laws and to inflict severe
punishment for any kind of promiscuity.
How tightly this was linked to the
whole patriarchy issue can, for example,
be read in the works of the Roman
historian Tacitus who, in his famous
Germania, delivers quite a precise description
of the social conditions the
Teutons lived in. In their society, males
had no real tasks other than fighting in
wars, everyone was free to cavort and
copulate like there was no tomorrow,
and women had children by lots of different
men—which was fine because
they were the ones that led the clans,
as status and power were passed on
through the female bloodline.
God equals society
Right now you’re probably thinking
that all this sounds like not much more
than a bunch of made-up rules, but it’s
a fact that established moral concepts
regarding sexuality—ranging from monogamy
and faithfulness to the rejection
of sexual variations like anal sex
and fellatio, as well as any form of homoeroticism—are
not simply rules, but
moral questions that are religiously
motivated. Anyone who, from a rational
viewpoint, would definitely reject
such ideas but sometimes still experiences
a dim feeling of moral turpitude
when excessively engaging in random
sex knows what we’re talking about:
the pang of conscience felt by a sodomist,
formerly referred to as a sinner,
against his better judgment. This perception,
however, is only based on the
“enlightened deception” that we have
to differentiate between morals and
religion on the one hand and rationally
devised laws and rules on the other,
when in truth they’re one and the same.
As early as the 19th century, academic
scholars of religion declared that when
we say God, what we actually mean is
society, the obvious principle behind
this strategy being to lend some kind
of transcendental and spiritual legiti-
mization to all the invented rules that
sustain the established (male) order—
or in short: to convert these rules into
eternal law that cannot simply be annulled
by new generations.
The stigma
of promiscuity
To this day, despite all their heartfelt
attempts at progress, even the most
liberal societies continue to be affected
by the old sexual morals because
these codes are part of the roots of
cultures which, as we all know, consider
themselves firmly anchored in
the Judaeo-Christian tradition, but
in fact, they even pre-date it. To put
it more crudely: A large part of civilization’s
values dates back to those of
tribally organized shepherd communities
in the Bronze Age whose timeless
representative figure was a punitive
male god who saw to it that the
tribe’s (male) leaders all got what they
understood to be their (god-given)
right. After millennia of this kind of tyranny,
we suddenly go and invent the
pill and paternity tests, kick off the

28
sexual revolution, fuck around like rabbits
for about two decades and then
bam! This stupid virus decides to jump
from chimpanzees to us and ends the
party. And before you know it, all the
complexes we thought long gone are
back with a vengeance because one
thing became clear pretty quickly: HIV
is mainly contracted through sex—and
not the kind you have with just one
partner your whole life. If we follow the
logic of patriarchal morality, HIV/AIDS
can be seen as a stigma: the disease
as a mark, a badge of shame and—in
a sense—punishment for a promiscuous
lifestyle. As in: “If you had been a
good boy and lived by the established
bourgeois rules, this would not have
happened to you.” Consequently,
from a patriarchal viewpoint, the disease
simply has to be a manifestation
of God’s wrath; also in a more figurative,
secular sense, because after all,
“God” is nothing other than society’s
personified order.
The shadows of the past
This, of course, explains the initial stigmatization
of HIV as the “gay plague”.
The discrimination against homosexuality
by the conservative mainstream
is mainly rooted in the fact that, for
its members, the gay lifestyle represents
the essence of promiscuity and,
as such, a constant threat to traditional
male rule. As a paradoxical side-effect
of this, nowadays it’s even harder for
many heterosexuals to deal with the
social dimensions of this disease than it
is for homosexuals, since the latter had
to learn long ago how to live outside
the patriarchal mainstream. Obviously
we’ve left the 19th century behind and
not all of us see HIV as a god-inflicted
punishment. Yet a certain echo of this
set of values still rings through modern
Western society though, whispering
that it’s your own fault if you contract
the virus. And since, culturally, we’re
still miles away from actually being able
to openly talk about any form of sexuality,
the whole HIV topic still carries
the stigma of something “dirty” that
no one wants to talk about—because
we still haven’t fully liberated ourselves
from some ancient set of moral values.
HIV as a social gauge
We live in 2015 and it’s fair to say that
our Western societies are more or
less on the right track when it comes
to shedding the patriarchal tradition.
Having said that, we’re still a far cry
from shedding it completely.
At least in those parts of the world
blessed by a certain standard of
wealth, HIV/AIDS has become medically
manageable and has developed
from a certain death sentence into
more of a chronic disease. In turn, this
has led to the widespread idea that
it’s something that no longer needs
to be talked about. In fact, most of us
are glad that this somehow disreputable
topic is finally off the table, but

30
that’s a big mistake, because the only
efficient way to counteract this problem
is an open and ongoing discourse
about it. Everyone who doesn’t know
what it is or that they have it will most
likely unwittingly pass it on to someone
else. Simple preaching doesn’t
help though, because the problem is
rooted much more deeply. In some
way, how we deal with HIV/AIDS functions
like a gauge that measures to
what extent a society has managed to
liberate itself from patriarchal rule.
The #HIVHeroes Edition:
that’s why!
At the VANGARDIST we regard ourselves
as a progressive medium committed
to proclaiming a lifestyle far
removed from all kinds of patriarchal
restraints. We regard all forms of sexual
preferences—whether they’re homo
or hetero—as completely natural and
equally valid. A large part of the content
of our men’s magazine is gay and
so are a considerable number of the
people involved in its making. Because
of this, we are used to standing up and
fighting, but at the same time we’re
aware that there’s not much use in playing
the suppressed minority here. For
this reason, our magazine deliberately
treats an open attitude to all things
sexual as a given that is befitting to our
modern times, just as we regard openness
regarding gender stereotypes.
We’ve decided to boldly expect overall
equality because this type of selfconfidence
is much more efficient than
self-victimizing whingeing will ever be.
And that’s why the VANGARDIST is organizing
the #HIVHEROES Campaign:
because we need an open discourse
about HIV/AIDS without all the moral
baggage.

Pullover Dyn menswear, leather top Marina Hoermanseder

Shirt Vivienne Westwood, brooch Marekowa, Briefs Stylist‘s own, leather belt
Marina Hoermaneder
Top Dyn menswear, Headpiece Marekowa, leggings stylist's own

cap Kolos Schilling, coat Leni Landsgesell
Leather Top Marina Hoermanseder, Ring Marekowa, Shorts Stylist‘s own,
Leggings Mirza Sprecakovic

Look Emporio Armani, watch Adidas, Socks Falke
shirt Dyn menswear, Jeans custom made, Leather belt Marina Hoermanseder,
backpack Leni Landsgesell

suit Strellson, shirt Mirza Sprecakovic, backpack Vivienne Westwood, watch Diesel
Leather shirt Marina Hoermanseder

fashion editor
Mirza Sprecakovic
mirzasprecakovic.com
photography
Sam Scott Schiavo
samscottschiavo.com
Grooming
Zoltán Tóth
leather jacket Emporio Armani
models
Kristobal & JP, Sam the Agency
Mark, Art Models
fashion assistant
Vladimir Satric

44
making of
editing: Cristóbal Hornito
Interpreter/ Track: MINDRXK - 'Life is a party'
See more
making-ofphotos

46
the campaign
# H
i v h e r o e s
E
d
i
t
for the good
cause
n
i o
0001
Fearlessness is not a sign of bravery but of foolhardiness.
You can’t become a hero before you confront your fears and overcome them.
Once you’ve mustered that much strength, even failure becomes something noble.
These or similar thoughts frequently came to mind whenever the road from our
initial idea for the #HIVHEROES Edition to its final realisation got particularly
bumpy. You, dear readers, who are now holding this VANGARDIST issue in
your hands, have accepted the challenge. You have overcome your fears and,
by opening this magazine’s wrapping, have sent a signal. But until this was
finally possible, we came across quite a number of people
who weren’t quite as brave…
diary of a hard fight
text: Hendrik H.
photos printing press: Daniel Gottschling
Foto cat: Jonathan Teo
0001
Felix Nowack & Julian Wiehl at Donau Forum Druck Ges.m.b.H.
A meeting with far-
reaching consequences
It’s one thing to come up with a good
idea. To carry through with it, though,
is a very different matter. It was actually
Raffaele Arturo, former head of Publicis
Austria and close confidante of our
sales and marketing team who came
up with this daring plan at a meeting
set to discuss the question of what in
the world we could write about on the
occasion of this year’s Life Ball and upcoming
Eurovision Song Contest. An
issue printed with HIV-positive blood?
What a mad idea! An idea that didn’t
just pop into Raffaele’s head as if sent
by Apollo’s marketing muse though.
From his time a few years ago at Publicis,
he remembered an advertising
campaign for a client that they had
contemplated running on the occasion
of the Life Ball which had never actually
been carried out. For one quite obvious
reason: It was simply too wild. The
thing is though, words like “mad” and
“wild” quickly trigger a certain itch and
urge in our Chief Editor, so that anyone
watching him while Raffaele presented
this idea could detect a gentle glow on
the boss’ attentive face.

HIV doesn’t make the news anymore.
Now the issue is in your hands.
Raffaele also told us that after the people
at Publicis in charge of the campaign
had quashed the idea, Jason
Romeyko, Creative Director of Saatchi
& Saatchi Geneva, which in turn is a
subsidiary of the Publicis Groupe, had
continued to toy with it. And then he
asked us whether this wouldn’t make
for an interesting campaign for the
VANGARDIST.
A radical plan
The concept was simple and powerful.
We would confront the increasing marginalisation
of the HIV/AIDS discourse
and make people aware of how social
prejudices against people with HIV are
still pretty rampant in today’s society.
Our main focus was to be on the issue
of social exclusion that many HIVpositive
people who openly deal with
their situation continue to face, simply
because the disease still triggers all
kinds of irrational fears of contracting
it, even though this is virtually impossible
through ordinary social contact.
Our plan: to find three people infected
with the virus who should be as different
from each other as possible as well
as be willing to donate their blood for
a good cause. This blood, after being
treated in a laboratory to exclude any
possible risk of infection, would then
be mixed with printer ink to produce
an ad that would, in essence, contain
the following information: This ad has
been printed with HIV infected blood.
Pure fate
While our Chief Editor’s ears had already
pricked up during the description
of the idea, when he heard the name
Romeyko, a wide grin spread over his
face, because—what a nice coincidence—Jason
is a personal friend of
the VANGARDIST in general and of Julian
and Carlos (the founders and editors
of this magazine) in particular. At a
time when their career ladders weren’t
being climbed quite as ambitiously as
they are now, these two would regularly
visit Jason in Berlin. Probably mostly
to party, but also, whenever Jason was
sent off around the world, to look after
Jason’s cat, Bauer. We should probably
mention here that Bauer isn’t just
some ordinary cat. He’s a muse, and

in that role one could even venture to
say that, next to Karl Lagerfeld’s Choupette
and the Clinton family’s former
First Cat, Socks, he’s one of the three
most important cats in the world and,
just like his famous colleagues, has his
own Facebook profile.
At lunch with
Saatchi & Saatchi
The unexpected appearance of this
personal contact meant we didn’t even
have to steal the idea! Without further
ado, a call was made and a few minutes
later an excited Jason Romeyko
had gladly accepted our offer, saying
that this campaign was something he
had already felt strongly about from
the very beginning. Just a few weeks
later, we had lunch in Vienna with Jason
and his producer, Emma Jenkins,
and even before we were able to prime
them with alcohol, maybe even before
dessert was served—which, on a side
note, no one apart from Emma and
this article’s author actually touched,
because the boys spend too much
time looking after their figures—the
whole thing was underway and Saatchi
& Saatchi had promised to put everything
at our disposal that they had already
done for the campaign.
0002
Bauer Romeyko
Legal grey areas
A few days later, a legal opinion by a
US law firm written in 2011 and commissioned
by the client the campaign
had originally been devised for landed
on our Chief Editor’s desk. In it, the legal
experts succinctly recommended
dropping such an HIV campaign idea,
as the consequences were not predictable
and there was no way of knowing
where the ad might eventually end
up. Although we were certainly a bit
surprised about receiving this legal
opinion without any further comment,
and by the fact that neither Jason
nor anyone else had ever mentioned
its existence, we decided not to be
put off by this. After all, it was just an
overly-cautious recommendation, the
Publicis client who had commissioned
it wasn’t exactly of Benetton calibre,
and anyway, everything had gone so
smoothly up to this point, and so on
and so forth. Since we didn’t want to
ignore the legal opinion completely
though, our Chief Editor forwarded it
to Raffaele’s brother, Claudio, a good
personal friend as well as advocate
and Honorary Consul of the Republic
of San Marino in Vienna.

Exile in
San Marino
This had been a cunning move because
we figured that, should his Excellency
the Honorary Consul give us
his legal go-ahead after coming to
the conclusion we thought he would
come to, namely that the guys at Publicis
were a bunch of cowards, then if
the whole thing did for some reason
go tits up in the end, he would probably
feel so guilty about it that he’d
have to grant the VANGARDIST’s entire
editorial team exile in San Marino.
Unfortunately, such plans fell through
pretty quickly, because one week later
Raffaele arrived at the office with
bad news from San Marino. We were
informed that the whole thing was indeed
quite tricky, beginning with the
problem that different countries had
different laws, which would be an issue
insofar as the campaign was intended
to be launched internationally. A call
made to Jason in Geneva didn’t solve
this problem either, because all we
learned was that he was already familiar
with this legal opinion and that as a
result of it, the printing office commissioned
to do the job for the first campaign
attempt had refused to “infect”
their printing presses with the virus.
A campaign is born
Faced with these facts, we almost got
cold feet like everyone else before us
had, but then came salvation in the
form of a brilliant idea: The main argument
used in the legal opinion was
that the distribution of an ad appearing
in different print mass media would
be impossible to control. If, however,
the VANGARDIST as a magazine were
figured as the responsible body initiating
the campaign’s actions, it would
be able to print only a limited edition
of the magazine with ink that actually
contained blood and just use ordinary
ink on the rest, and that way we would
retain relative control over the distribution
of the blood mags. In addition,
we came up with the idea to cover the
“contaminated” issues in plastic wrap
to make people aware of what they
were about to purchase and make it
their active decision to unwrap and
touch the actual magazine. The act
of unwrapping it would thus become
a statement and send out the message
that, in order to read this issue,
you had to be brave. And with this, the
#HIVHEROES Campaign was born.

The unknown
residual risk
Our new Heroes Campaign plan, involving
a limited running of magazines
sealed in plastic that would challenge
recipients to make a statement
by actively unwrapping and touching
them, was then sent to San Marino
once more, along with a request for a
second legal opinion. And this time,
the response was guardedly positive.
It stated that even though the Consul
couldn’t vouch for the rest of the
world, according to German and Austrian
law, our campaign wouldn’t pose
any legal problems. And since by that
point we’d swaggered so much about
heroism, we decided to just go ahead
with it and face the potential risks.
Definitely not standard
operating procedure
So now that we were willing to assume
the possible risks, all we had to
do was convince others of how noble
our campaign was. Since something
like this had never been done before,
we had no standard operating procedure
to fall back on. As a first step, we
had to find a laboratory that would be
willing and able to treat the donated
blood to rule out any possible risk of
infection, and of course none of the
laboratories we contacted were willing
to do it. Through one of our boss’ old
childhood friends, we finally managed
to establish contact with the medical
faculty at the University of Innsbruck
and, after some negotiation, we had
them where we wanted: The guys from
Tyrol would extract and pasteurise the
blood and then submit it to processing
in an autoclave set to “biosafety level
3”. After that, we were told, you could
basically drink it.
Old love never dies
The second hurdle we had to overcome
was to find a printing office
willing to allow the blood to come in
contact with its printing presses, but
all the big ones turned us down. Our
last chance was a small print shop under
the name of Donau Forum Druck,
who we had already worked with on
our very first print issue. Its owner did
express some reluctance at first, because
he didn’t want to force his staff
to participate in our stunt, but in the
end he offered to do the job himself

in one long nightshift. We will be eternally
grateful to him for his heroic act.
Finding donors
The third and trickiest task would be to
find three people who would be willing
to donate their HIV-positive blood
to help our campaign. What made our
job even harder was that our potential
candidates had to be as different from
each other as possible, meaning we
had to find someone who dealt openly
with the condition and could show the
world how that’s done, but also someone
who found this hard to do and
could show the world why openness
continues to be such a challenge.
Into an unknown
future: postscript
Today it’s April 9th 2015, and we’ve
found our donors. Tomorrow they’ll
put their blood at the disposal of the
medical faculty at the University of Innsbruck.
In our #HIVHEROES Edition,
which will head to print in four days,
you’ll be able to find out all about who
they are and what they do. While I’m
typing these last lines into my computer,
next door our Chief Editor is sitting
in his office full of vim. When you, dear
readers, are holding this VANGARD-
IST issue in your hands, we’ll already
know whether we’ve achieved our goal
or if all hell has broken loose. Or, who
knows, maybe both will happen at the
same time. You have to overcome your
fears to deem yourself brave—because
anything else would be nothing
but foolhardy. So long...

58
the campaign
Philipp Spiegel
the
blood
donors
age
Philipp Spiegel is an alias. The person behind it prefers
to stay anonymous. He is the author of the article
”When Do I Tell Her?” which you can find in this
very issue
"Who are you?"
There is not much to say about me at the given time.
All there is to know is that I am male, heterosexual
and HIV positive.
Photos: André Gehrmann, Daniel Gottschling
HIV can affect anyone. But how a positive diagnosis affects individuals' lives is very
much dependent on their social environment.While some people are in a position to
openly deal with the challenges of HIV without having to fear severe discrimination,
for others, “outing” themselves would be equivalent to social suicide.
The heroes of this issue are named Philipp, Wyndham and Wiltrut.
The blood they donated has become a part of this magazine. The three of
them all have one thing in common: They’re HIV positive.
Their stories, however, could not be more different.
"Why are you doing this?"
Due to the fact that the infection is rather recent, I
am still struggling with this new impact on my life.
I am working on a reassessment of myself: of who I
am, of what I will do with this. In that sense, the preinfection
life doesn’t matter very much. Because of
the fear of implications both socially and professionally
for myself, my friends and my family, I still prefer
to stay anonymous.

60
Born in Stockton, California, Wyndham
relocated to New York before leaving
the Big Apple for freakin´ Berlin, where
he’s been living and working the
past four years. He got his diagnosis
in October 2012; about a year later
he “came out” as HIV-positive with
#CHANGETHEFACE, sharing his story
to start conversations, change opinions,
increase awareness and affect positive
change in people. He is 26 years old.
"Who are you?"
I’d say I’m one of the most normal guys
on the planet. I go to work, I see my
friends, I’ve got some big dreams for
my life that I hope to accomplish, and
I try to keep in touch with my family as
much as possible.
That being said, becoming HIV positive
did have an effect on who I am:
I am now more grateful for every experience
I have, a characteristic that
didn’t exist before. Think of how much
happier we would all be if we woke up
each day and said, “Thanks, life, you’re
amazing.” That’s the person I strive to
be.
"Why are you doing this?"
You know, the interesting thing is that
I’ve become numb to the existence of
“HIV stigma”. I’ve overcome most of
the self-loathing and shame about my

62
own status, and forget sometimes that
not everyone out there has had the
same experience—that many people
who are diagnosed aren’t able to process
it. They keep secrets. They suffer.
Only to be fed by a globally universal
fear and lack of understanding of HIV/
AIDS.
Enjoying this confidence can be dangerous.
Complacency is why we find
ourselves—in 2015!—with increasing
HIV infection rates in certain groups.
I’ve learnt that rather than becoming
complacent in my own shame-free
HIV-positive life, I must keep pushing
forward, using my numbness to, or ignorance
of, stigma for something bigger
than me. I guess I do it because
I’m not afraid. You’ll have to ask my
parents about that fearlessness, as it’s
been around far longer than I’ve been
positive!
#CHANGETHEFACE is an attempt to
make things better for “us” and start
conversations that might help remove
the stigma that absolutely still exists.
Us means other HIV-positive people.
Us means our families and friends. Us
means low-risk groups that normally
have few reasons to involve themselves
with the topic of HIV.
And why would I agree to have my
blood used to print this magazine? Because
holding my HIV in your hands
is… well, even I am a bit shocked by
the idea. Hopefully this act—a brave
one for some, a non-issue for others—
will create waves of conversation about
HIV that I could never achieve by myself.
I’m doing this because I believe positive
can be positive, and talking about
HIV is the only way we can get more
people to share that vision.
Wiltrut Stefanek
AGE
Wiltrut has been living with her
HIV-positive status for over twenty years.
After being diagnosed, she decided to
openly deal with her condition and, as
a result, founded the special interest
group PULSHIV (www.pulshiv.at). She
lives and works in Vienna and has a
24-year-old son.
45

64
# H
E
d
i v h e r o e s
i
t
n
i o
"Who are you?"
HIV—three letters that turned my life
upside down. Many people think I
must be unhappy and despair over my
life! Well, yes, I am indeed HIV positive,
but primarily I am a mother, friend
and partner.
For many years I had been leading a
double life in a marriage conditioned
by violence, but when I was diagnosed
20 years ago, I realized something had
to change. The diagnosis was a wakeup
call because it made me see how
wonderful, but also how terribly short,
(my) life can be.
In spite of my fears, I decided to openly
share my HIV status because I don’t
want to hide and have to lie about who
I am, and so I founded PULSHIV in Vienna.
It’s a special interest group organised
by and for people with HIV/AIDS
and their families. We provide information,
counsel and guidance on HIV and
often live with it ourselves. We’re people
with and without HIV/AIDS who
have taken their lives and futures into
their own hands.
"Why are you doing this?"
Today, I’m living a “normal” life. I work,
meet friends, have hobbies and spend
as much time as I can with my family.
My social circle is very important to me;
they’re my friends through good and
bad times. Over the years, I’ve come
to realise how important it is to share
your problems with others. Many people
with HIV think that they’re alone
with it, but that’s not true. Communication
is essential to my quality of life.
I’ve been in a partnership with an HIVnegative
man for many years. At the
beginning, things were difficult because
many people didn’t accept our
relationship. We faced a lot of prejudices
which, as far as I’m concerned,
were completely unfounded because,
against all odds, we’re still together today.
My son was six when he learned about
my status—an age when he wasn’t yet
able to really grasp what HIV meant—
but with professional help he has learned
to live with it. There were times
when he talked about it a lot, but today
I feel that HIV is as normal a part
of life to him as is eating or taking a
shower is.
It was my conscious choice to become
an advocate for the interests and concerns
of people with HIV. In today’s
society, this illness continues to be a
taboo and, way too often, something
people whisper about behind closed
doors while the real problems are not
discussed. The majority of HIV-positive
people are scared to openly deal with
their illness because, even in 2015,
too many of us still harbour prejudices
against HIV and fear coming in contact
with it.
We finally have to get rid of the myths
of the 80s and draw attention to all the
positive changes instead. We have to
put HIV on the agenda, raise awareness
for this issue and strongly encourage
communication on a sociopolitical
level. That’s what drives me.
Through donating my blood to be part
of the #HIVHEROES Edition, I want to
make people understand that in dayto-day
dealings with it, HIV poses no
risk to anyone.
Living with HIV isn’t only taxing for
those of us who have it. My true heroes
are my son, my partner and my
parents, who have always stood by me
despite the struggles and supported
me through some hard times. If we all
managed to look beyond our own borders
once in a while, we could all be
heroes.

66
the campaign
Hard
Facts
about
How do I behave
around someone
who’s HIV positive?
J ust like around anybody else.
When do I
risk catching
the virus?
• Unprotected sex
• Swallowing sperm or blood
• Contact with fresh open wounds
• Dirty needles (drug use)
Always use a condom •
Don’t swallow sperm or blood •
What’s the right
way to protect
myself?
Regular intake of meds •
Regular medical checkups •
Lifelong therapy •
Life changes in terms of eating habits, •
relationship habits, family and friends
Condoms, condoms, condoms •
What will I be
dealing with as someone
living with HIV?
What do I do if I’ve
been exposed
to a potential risk?
• Consult a doctor within 1 or 2 hours
• PEP (HIV post-exposure prophylaxis) within 48 hours
• If sperm has entered your rectum, squat down and
try to push it out
Common
misconceptions
about HIV
• Faeces, urine, sweat and saliva are contagious
• Sperm should be removed with an anal douche
• Even if HIV-positive people are receiving the
right kind of treatment, transmission risk from
sex with them is very high.

skirt [ep_anoui] by Eva Poleschinski,
trousers Alexander McQueen at STEFFL department Store

dress & Bag Diesel, skirt Leni
Landsgesell, bracelet Moschino
Shirt Givenchy at Amicis, trousers Kenzo at Steffl
Department Store, boots Diesel, TROUSER CHAIN Chanel

shirt Maison Martin Margiela, Shorts Valentino at Amicis, Socks Falke,
Sneakers Saint Laurent, chaiR Qitoya
corsage Marina Hoermanseder,
earrings Peacock-Modeschmuck

Shirt & Sandals Diesel, sKirit [ep_anoui]
by Eva Poleschinski, belt Dior Homme,
Bag Marina Hoermanseder, socks Nike
Jacket Madanti, Sweater Ute Ploier, Briefs Björn Borg, boots Moon Boot
tights Wolford, necklace Peacock-Modeschmuck

Shirt, Jacket & sweater Diesel, Shorts Valentino at Amicis
shirt Vivienne Westwood, pullover Diesel,
Jeans Alexander McQueen at Steffl Department Store,
belt Ana Kaan, stool Qitoya

shirt Maison Martin Margiela
dress Maiken K. at Runway, earrings
Peacock-Modeschmuck, suitcase Qitoya

Fashion Editor Mirza Sprecakovic / www.mirzasprecakovic.com
Photography Darius Lucaciu dariuslucaciu.tumblr.com / Hair &
MakeUp Shlomit Migay www.shlomitmigay.com / Models Simon C.
& Natalia S., mmanagement.sk / Assistant Victoria Abulesz /
Making Of Tamara Pichler
wool hat Stylist's own

making of
editing: Cristóbal Hornito
Interpreter/ Track: SPAM the Q - BiRD of HERMeS
See more
making-ofphotos

84
the campaign
Text Philipp spiegel
when do I
tell her?
THE IMPLICATIONS OF AN
h i v - p o s i t i v e
HETERO LIFE
Being a heterosexual male with HIV is
filled with emotional contradictions. Having
been infected rather recently, my experiences
concerning the matter are rather
recent—and yet HIV has changed my life
in numerous way. Ways I cannot even fathom
just yet, for they are in constant fl ow.
The diffi culties and confrontations concerning
this new life are numerous, and a
lot of exploration is still necessary.
A new routine
My first months were the most difficult
ones. Plagued with doubt about my
actions, there were two main concerns
that dominated my life. For one, the
medical aspect. With knowledge and
research, I could deal with my initial
fears of this aspect rather quickly. Being
born in the 80s, with the deadly threat
of this disease being hammered into
me from early on, properly done research
soon alleviated my fear of a gruesome
death. I informed myself, and
still do, about therapies and medical
implications. Of course, the privilege
of living in a Western country with excellent
medical facilities and treatment
options gives comfort and has made
life almost normal. My gratefulness towards
the amazing scientific and medical
progress concerning this disease
is never-ending. At least on a medical
level, knowledge truly is power.
Knowing that this is something that will
be there for the rest of my life has a
strong impact. Death itself has become
a constant. Not a threat, but “company”.
An awareness of my own mortality,

86
causing me to reflect on my own life
and the decisions I have made so far.
A questioning of my goals and motivations
that gives them
a different meaning. For
I feel I carry death in me.
And every single day,
upon taking my medication,
I am given the
position to decide whether
I want to live or die.
“Every single day, for the
rest of my life.” That is a
strong, and I confess, strange sentence
to tell yourself. It is an experience very
few people can share.
The medication itself is quite a tricky
thing. On one hand, every day becomes
an affirmation of life. But the implications
of these blue pills are still
very present—that I cannot take a
break from them, that I’m not allowed
to forget to take them and that long
term consequences are still uncertain
are ideas that cause constant pressure.
The paranoia of forgetting to take
the pills still grabs a hold of me. Not as
much as in the first few months, but it
still happens. A brief panic attack comes
over me every so often, trying to
remember whether I have taken them
or not. Although two alarms annoyingly
remind me of them every single
day, I always have to be very present
in the moment when taking them.
These daily alarms accompany
me—not necessarily
as a dominating
feature, but their
presence adds a certain
reminder of HIV in my
life. Every trip I take to a
different time zone must
be thoroughly calculated
for possible adjustments
to my alarms. Often, I have to readjust
my intake habits a few days in advance
to not diminish the medication’s effect.
My poisonous self
The second thought that dominated
my mind in the first weeks after my diagnosis
was neither about my own psychological
situation, nor was it about
telling my friends and family. Although
those two thoughts were very present,
there was one other thing that caused
me nightmares: the fear that I had infected
someone else. The idea that
my irresponsible behavior had potentially
endangered someone else’s life
kept me up at night. I was put in the
situation of having to inform three women
of my status. Simply having ”that”
conversation is bad enough. Had I infected
anyone else, I don’t know how
I could have lived with the guilt. This
situation would be even more difficult
than it already is. After accompanying
these women to their tests and finding
out that I caused no further infections,
I was filled with relief—but scared.
Even today, with my levels being far
below the detection limit, and practically
being unable to infect anyone via
sexual contact, this fear remains, and
it has had a great impact on my sex
life. Ease and lightness have gone. For
about a year, intimacy was more associated
with stress, anxiety and fear than
anything else. I trust medicine and my
medication—but I’m not entirely sure
how much I trust myself yet.
Herein lies one of the differences between
homo- and heterosexuals. I don’t
want to downplay the fear that homosexuals
have when thinking about the
consequences of infecting someone
else—but those consequences for women
are much greater than for men.
Simply the idea of bearing children has
to be taken into consideration. The
impact of infecting a woman is, in that
sense, much greater than infecting a
man.
I have my blood tested every three
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88
months to monitor the medication
and its impact on the virus and on my
body, and to check on other potential
threats. My virus load has been under
the detection limit for nine months—
meaning that I can even have uninfected
children, and that even if I had
unprotected sex, the chances of me
infecting anyone would be minimal.
Should a condom burst, my doctor
mentioned that he wouldn’t even see
post-exposition prophylaxis as necessary.
I am more informed of what I do
and do not have than most other people
out there. If I were to meet a woman,
I would be her safest bet simply
because of my knowledge of what I
have and what I can and cannot do.
There are other STDs out there—ones
which, because of my regular updates,
I know I do not carry. How many people
can say that of themselves? And
yet the fear of infecting someone still
weighs on me. I carry a new sense of
responsibility towards myself and especially
towards others.
Basic knowledge
The half-knowledge that other people,
particularly in my generation, have
acquired is one of the biggest difficulties
when confronted with being HIV
positive. Having grown up with the
death of Freddy Mercury and films
like Philadelphia, the predominant
message associated with HIV in our
teenage years was that it caused a
long and horrible death. This imagery
is still very present, especially in heterosexual
surroundings. The difference
between the knowledge of HIV within
the heterosexual community, in comparison
with the homosexual one, is
massive. Being a heterosexual male,
this came as surprising and slightly alienating.
I’ve come to realize that the
topic of HIV is simply more common in
the homosexual community, where the
perception of the disease—as well as
its implications, treatments and consequences—is
based on much greater
knowledge than that found in heterosexual
surroundings.
Topics like the “detection limit”,
“post-exposition prophylaxis” and the
fact that HIV has become a chronic disease
and not a deadly one are common
knowledge to my homosexual
friends but need a lot of explanation
to my hetero ones.
The positive impact of the medication
and its effects—such as
being able to have children
and to avoid infecting
someone—have simply
not widely reached the
heterosexual community.
After my being infected
led me to doing research,
my reaction was similar
to that of my friends. I'd
simply had no idea of the medical advances
that have happened in the last
years. Surprised about the idea that
having children isn’t even a problem
anymore, a comforting “wow” was
one of the first reactions I always received.
And of course, a “thank god
for medicine…”.
Although my homosexual friends have
been of great assistance, topics like
having children, speaking to women
about the virus and simply the “nonthreat”
of the disease are things I have
been struggling with by myself and
have admittedly been very lonely with.
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90
Being openly HIV positive and heterosexual
is kinda rare, and “outing” myself
would cause more burden than relief
at the moment. This half-knowledge
of HIV makes me feel more secure to
stay hidden—which is why I do not
desire a portrait of me to accompany
this article.
Revelations
HIV is a very intimate disease. Upon
mentioning it, not only does it cause
a shocked reaction from others, but
it immediately gives them a glimpse
into your sexual life. Any conversation
about HIV is immediately associated
with sex. It gives a person a view
of your past. And the reaction upon
confession tends to be a blank stare—and
as we all know, stares can be
louder than voices. The psychological
burden, especially when it comes to
meeting women, is heavy. Wearing a
mask, concealing my disease in social
surroundings, is becoming standard
and upon meeting potential partners,
the constant question in my head is:
“When do I tell her?” There is no correct
answer to that. Every time I meet
someone, a new assessment is required.
Legally, I am not obliged to tell
anyone about my status as long as I
take safety precautions. And yet this
status sharpens my senses about people.
Ideas like “Is this short term?”
and “Can I imagine this going somewhere?”
are immediate thoughts that
must be taken into consideration. Do I
destroy the initial, passionate curiosity
upon meeting someone by revealing
my disease, or do I dare put myself in
the situation of concealing this information
altogether? I try to assess how
the woman will react. I admit, I haven’t
put myself into such a situation very often,
since I fear the outcome. I’ve been
trying to avoid it, for the only answer I
can find at the moment is that I simply
do not know. We all wear masks in social
surroundings, but with HIV, carrying
an additional one is the norm, due
to fears of rejection, of discrimination,
of seeing horror in the eyes of someone
you desire—being seen as a threat
from someone you could potentially
love. Burdened by HIV, my approach
to sexuality and feels about myself are
in constant flow. My heart is proud but
it aches with rage. One moment I hate
myself, am plagued with guilt and feel
poisonous, and in the next moment I
stand defiant and find a superhuman
strength to rise above myself.
My personal mirror
HIV is a disease that comes from one's
behavior, not from circumstance. It is
caused by your own actions. Unlike hereditary
diseases, or bad luck, the only
one to blame for being infected is you
and your own actions. This, especially
at the beginning,
makes you question
every decision
you’ve made. My
perception of my
surroundings is also
in constant change.
Within the past year
of being infected,
my priorities have
been altered. Certain
friends simply
aren’t close anymore,
while others have
grown much closer.
My perceptions of
beauty, of intimacy
and especially of sexuality and women
have become very delicate. The strange
thing about HIV is that it is a curse—but
at the same time it is a blessing.
A relief. It makes me more aware
of everything I am surrounded by. And
when the depressive moments fade,
“everything we
shut our eyes to,
everything we
run away
from, everything
we deny, denigrate,
or despise,
serves to
defeat us
in the end.”
henry miller
the heights of life weaken my knees. A
feeling of gratefulness towards life envelops
me.
One of the hardest things to accept
is that certain things will never again
be the same in my life. A part of me
died when I found out about my infection.
In a way, I
have to relearn certain
habits and tendencies—things
that
used to be easy are
now completely different.
And yet, HIV
has given me a new
chance: a reset button
that allows me
to reexamine my
choices in life. There
is a certain rebirth
association with it.
While HIV is a burden,
causing me to
live life with a fear of
having to hide, wear a mask and have
a constant threat within me, it is also
altering my perceptions, giving me a
new honesty towards myself, my family
and my friends. And in defiance of negativity
and superficiality, I am confronting
my fears to exhale.

92
advertorial
photos © “Fundació Lluita contra la Sida”. 5ª Gala Sida Barcelona
© Madrid Destino, Cultura, Turismo y Negocio S.A.,
Gregorio Reche, José Barea
humans
heroes
need
World Pride
2017 Madrid
The Hero from
the world of pop
In Latin American pop, Miguel Bosé
is a well known entity. Not only has
the former actor-cum-pop star landed
seven top ten hits in Italy, Spain and
numerous Latin American countries,
he’s also collaborated with many big
names in the industry, from Shakira
and Ricky Martin to Juanes and even
R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe. And since his
parents counted the likes of Picasso
and Hemingway among their closest
friends and his godfather was none
other than the great Luchino Visconti,
he truly seemed predestined for
artistic success from the beginning.
Fundraising Deluxe
His music stardom didn’t let him rest
on his laurels though, as for five years
running he’s been hosting the AIDS
Gala Barcelona and using his name
and connections to raise money for
the fight against HIV. So far, each year
he’s managed to raise more than half
a million euros for AIDS research from
the well known guests and sponsors at
his outstanding gala dinner. Not only
are we impressed by Miguel Bosé’s
music but also by his giant heart and
tireless support of this good cause. In
a TV spot at the end of 2014, he repeated
his promise to not give up the
fight until a vaccine to prevent AIDS
has been found.
The talent to
inspire others
People like Miguel Bosé are blessed
with the talent to motivate and inspire
others. Such talents turn these people
into heroes when their main feat is to

stand up for what’s important and give
others a chance to follow suit and do
the same. They show us how important
it is to fight for something and lead by
good example. And we need more
people like them! There’s a hero in all
of us. We just have to learn that it’s not
enough to privately donate money every
now and then, but that sometimes
you have to make a statement with
your actions—because other people
are influenced by what we do and say.
Madrid, Center of Liberty
For many years, Barcelona and Madrid,
and Spain in general, have set good
examples in the global fight for a more
liberal world. Every year, more than
two million people visit the famous
Gay Pride in Madrid, and the five-day
festivities that culminate in the final
grand parade are not just a top event
for members of the LGBT community
but for everyone. Yet Spain’s capital
city, Madrid, also shows its liberal
side in everyday life, for example in its
Chueca district, which is not only one
of the trendiest neighbourhoods in
Spain, but also has its own gay quarter
with countless boutiques, cafés, bars,
restaurants and night clubs. The city
also stands out for its brave concepts
in showbiz: At the Gula Gula, drag
queens entertain the audience with
top-notch comedy, shows and an excellent
dinner, while the Teatro Alcalá
is currently showing Priscilla, Queen of
the Desert, a story about three transvestites
on a road trip. So topics like
identity and cultural diversity are omnipresent
here, and the courage people
have shown to express themselves
has definitely paid off.
As an upcoming highlight, in 2017
Madrid will be hosting WorldPride,
for which the city will doubtlessly be
bursting at the seams. And that’s great,
because there can never be too many
heroes in one place, and as long as it’s
for a good cause, who cares if things
get a bit crowded.
Here are a few
sources of inspiration
for your next trip to Spain:
www.esmadrid.com
barcelonaturisme.com
www.spain.info

96
FACADE
Editor'S
Choice:
style-
TIPP
Shirt by Lyle & Scott feat. Jonathan Saunders / Keychain by Givenchy /
Bag by Louis Vuitton / Sneakers by Dolce & Gabbana / Vodka by Belveder
Bag by Vivienne Westwood / Sticker by Anya Hindmarch at Amicis / Watch by
Victorinox / Cap by New Era / Backpack by Eastpak with Jean Paul Gaultier /
Shirt by Soulland / Fragrance Bleu de Chanel

98
Long sleeve shirt Lylle & Scott feat. Jonathan Saunders / Underpants by Björn Borg /
Headphones by Dre / Sunglasses by Lacoste/ Fragrance by Lacoste / Keychain by M
Missoni / Shoes by Dolce & Gabbana
Cummerbund by Herr von Eden / Belt by M Missoni / Shorts by Lylle & Scott feat.
Jonathan Saunders / Tote by Vivienne Westwood / Sunglasses by Lacoste / Wallet by
Givenchy / Creme by La Prairie / Pocket handkerchief by Herr von Eden

Fashion Editor
Mirza Sprecakovic mirzasprecakovic.com
Photography, Hair & MakeUp
Shlomit Migay shlomitmigay.com
Model David L., Mother Agency
Assistant Victoria Abulesz
BLACK BODY CHAIN SASKIA DIEZ, red peArls Gemmini,
watch Bell & Ross,MakeUp sponsored by MAC Cosmetics

stockings Agent Provocateur, watch Bell & Ross, necklace Swarovski

sunglasses Andy Wolf eyewear, Rings Stylist's own
tights Wolford, visor worn around the neck Missoni, jewellery SWarovski

tights Palmers, Sunglasses Andy Wolf eyewear, Golden Ring vintage FerRagammo,
Gold/black Ring House of Harlow 1960

making of
editing: Cristóbal Hornito
Interpreter/ Track: SPAM the Q - BiRD of HERMeS
See more
making-ofphotos

110
advertorial
Conchita's
A walk around town with Austria’s most important voice
After Conchita gave the Eurovision Song Contest the longoverdue
political relevance that it needs, she’s become one
of Austria’s best-known contemporary public figures worldwide.
And it’s no surprise to us that such a progressive
daughter of the modern age should choose Vienna as her
home, as this city is, without doubt, one of the most liveable
and tolerant places there is. This is also why we’ve asked
Conchita to take us to all the local spots she thinks any visitor
should know. And since one day simply isn’t enough to
explore this town, the VANGARDIST’s editorial team has
added a few tips of its own. After all, our offices are situated
right in the heart of this metropolis with a unique location
between Europe’s East and West.
photos © WienTourismus/Rainer Fehringer
Traditionally progressive
Vienna is a progressive place, whether
it’s for start-ups, fashion, art, culture
or new lifestyle concepts. After all,
our city council made a special effort
to promote Vienna’s historical buildings
like Schönbrunn Palace or places
like the Prater’s famous Ferris wheel as
being wedding locations available to
couples choosing registered partnerships.
The city’s open-minded attitude goes
back some time, as already back in 1993
Helmut Zilk, who was Vienna’s mayor
at the time, opened its city hall to host
the very first Life Ball. Over the years,
this charity event, in keeping with its
motto “Fighting AIDS—Celebrating
Life”, has not only raised millions but
has also become an acclaimed stage
for the international who’s-who, so
of course this year’s ball, entitled Ver
Sacrum (Latin for “holy spring”), will
also welcome big names like Charlize
Theron and Jean Paul Gaultier. And it’s
obviously no surprise that once more
it’s Conchita’s charming smile we see
on the golden posters announcing the
event.
Come aboard and enjoy
A broad channel of the Danube runs
right through the city, and on its banks
you’ll find beach cafés and deck chairs
on proper beach sand, a boat equipped
with a swimming pool and downstairs
party area, and an abundance of graffiti
art which has turned the entire river
promenade into an open-air gallery.
And right above the pier of the Twin
City Liner, a speedboat that covers the
distance between Vienna and Bratislava
in only 45 minutes, you’ll find the
area’s highlight: the café-restaurant
Motto am Fluss. Well, of course this is
where Conchita likes to start her day off.
The venue’s boat-like architecture and
timber plank floors instantly remove
you from the city’s day-to-day reality
and make you feel like you’re on holiday,
and its culinary options are worthy
of the Titanic’s first class. Whether
you pick the café on the upper deck,
the downstairs dining room or the truly
amazing cocktail bar, you’ll definitely
enjoy what you’re served. And to top
it all off, it’s guaranteed to be all topquality
organic food. Yummy!

112
Underneath the imperial city
If there’s anyone Conchita Wurst has
to share her glory with, it’s our beloved
Sissi, as Empress Elisabeth has
been tenderly nicknamed by all those
who are eagerly trying to shove tickets
to one of her numerous palaces or
a cup adorned with her image at you.
Up until Conchita’s big breakthrough,
Sissi was, in effect, Austria’s First Lady,
which might have had more to do with
the way Romy Schneider portrayed her
in her famous Sissi trilogy of films than
with the actual eccentric royal lady,
known for keeping diplomats waiting
and then showing them gymnastic
tricks on the high bar.
If you feel like walking in the eccentric
empress’ footsteps for a day, you
should visit her private quarters at the
Sissi Museum at Hofburg Palace, her
summer residence Schönbrunn, or the
Hermesvilla. There’s a total of 27 palaces
waiting to be explored in Vienna,
so when you’ve finally seen the last
one, you might already feel it’s time to
go back to the first.
Yet instead of leading us to the grandiose
buildings of the old aristocracy,
Conchita takes us to the Imperial Crypt,
where 149 members of the Habsburg
family lie buried under the Kapuzinerkirche.
It’s open to the public and
if you manage to find an unoccupied
spot, you can place all kinds of devotional
objects by the empress’ tomb.
Art for philistines
Next, we follow Conchita into our nation’s
greatest music institution: the
Vienna State Opera. Here, you can
regularly see international stars like
Anna Netrebko perform on the grand
stage. Those of you who prefer your
nights spent in clubs should at least
check in during the day for a guided
tour through the magnificent building.
The auditorium is humongous and the
glimpse that visitors are allowed into
the backstage area is really quite exciting.
Newbies and spontaneous types
can purchase standing- room tickets
for three to five euros on the night of
the show. After all, as a city of culture,
Vienna wants all its citizens to have access
to what it has to offer, and when

114
greeted by the friendly bar owner herself.
We order a Colada Habanera and
are served an entire pineapple with
straws: bravo! Why this is such a special
place for Conchita is something she’ll
explain in the video available with the
online edition of this magazine. Unlike
Conchita, we’re not fully booked
tonight, so now we have time to head
out into the night and find some things
to add to our list of recommendations
for you.
we say culture, we mean no less than
one hundred museums (plus we’d
consider the city in itself a giant openair
museum). Life here is amazing. No
matter where you work, live or like to
hang, your eyes will be aesthetically
entertained by the stucco decorations
and statues found everywhere in the
city.
Ending the day
with a nice drink
After all this culture, we’re in need of
a drink, and so Conchita takes us to
her second living room, the Cuban
Mojito Bar in Vienna’s first district. The
elegantly crafted dark wood panelling
takes us back to the glorious old
times, and from behind the bar we’re
Thank God
Vienna isn’t New York
If you dislike going out in places like
New York where bars close at 2:00
a.m. and security will politely but firmly
usher you out of a club by four, then
you’ve come to the right place, because
in Vienna you can revel till the
crack of dawn. With the city’s 1.8 million
inhabitants, it has quite a substantial
nightlife, and if you know where to
go, you’ll always find a place to go wild
on the dance floor. That said, there’s no
drunken revelry comparable to places
like Ibiza or New Orleans during Mardi
Gras. Vienna has just too much charm
for such things, plus quite a fondness
for individuality. Special society
events are mostly privately organized,

116
but if you go to www.wien.info, the
city’s official online guide, you’ll find a
regularly updated event calendar offering
quite a variety of tips for every
taste, from the Rainbow Parade to
S&M clubs and gay saunas.
A whole month of delight
The merry month of May is looking especially
wild this year. May 16th sees
the opening of Life Ball season, and
before that, the pre-parties start popping
up like peonies in the city’s event
calendars. Soon after, the big open-air
Calendar of events
Life Ball
16.5.2015
Vienna Pride
16.–21.6.2015
Eurovision
Song Contest
18.–23.5.2015
Regenbogenparade
20.6.2015
stage at the Rathausplatz will become
part of the Eurovision Song Contest
Village, and for the one week leading
up to the grand finale at the Stadthalle
on May 23, there’ll be entertainment
and live music galore (for those of you
who didn’t get finale tickets, you can
still sign up for one of the other eight
ESC events held at the same venue).
And of course, Vienna’s organisers of
community events are also gearing up
for the onslaught of the ESC troops, so
for a whole week there’ll be one party
after the other.
Fetish Spring
Vienna
3.–7.6.2015
identities - Queer
Film Festival
11.–21.6.2015
Places from this article:
Motto am Fluss
Franz-Josefs-Kai, 1010 Vienna
www.motto.at
Vienna State Opera
Opernring 2, 1010 Vienna
www.wiener-staatsoper.at
Clubs
Pratersauna
www.pratersauna.tv/site/club.aspx
Volksgarten
volksgarten.at/de/
Grelle Forelle
www.grelleforelle.com
Chaya Fuera
chayafuera.com
Cuban Mojito Bar
Naglergasse 5, 1010 Vienna
www.cubanmojitobar.at
Imperial Crypt
Tegetthoffstraße 2, 1010 Vienna
www.kaisergruft.at
Partys
OMG
www.facebook.com/pages/OMG-Society/147455705303019
The Circus Club
www.facebook.com/The.Circus.Club
Ken Club Vienna
www.facebook.com/ken.club.vienna
Malefiz
www.facebook.com/malefizclub
Meat Market
www.facebook.com/ClubMeatMarket
For more tips, go to:
www.wien.info/en/vienna-for/gay-lesbian
www.wien.info/en/lifestyle-scene/nightlife
Or connect on:
www.facebook.com/GayCityWien
www.facebook.com/WienTourismus
http://www.youtube.com/Vienna
http://instagram.com/viennatouristboard
Heaven
www.facebook.com/heavenvienna
Why Not
www.why-not.at

118
vangart
0001

120
Porn movie stills
De Lacroix mainly uses portraits as his
models, but sometimes he also finds
inspiration in certain situations, objects
and emotions. His pornographyinspired
pictures, which make up a
large part of his work, have received
an especially strong public response.
They show themes based on porn
movie stills from the 70s that openly
depict people naked and fornicating,
while also referencing topics like gang
bangs, autoeroticism and homosexuality
in an undisguised, and almost distant
or matter-of-fact, manner. The artist
seeks to provoke his audience with
these images and categorically rejects
the idea of beauty as an artistic end
in and of itself. So if the sight of gay
cowboys, voluptuous backsides, hairy
pussies and plump breasts shocks you,
you should definitely take a closer
look—don’t forget you’re looking at
art!
A nice surprise
over a cup of coffee
In a cosy corner of the Café Nil in Vienna’s
seventh district, we meet the master
of cuts himself. With his long dark
hair, his “pornstache” and washed
out denim jacket, he looks like someone
right out of his own pictures and
his lively eyes betray that he is a restless,
but keen, observer. He expresses
surprise at his arriving on time, orders
as double espresso with milk, and sits
down. After a short exchange of pleasantries,
he reveals that he’s got a little
surprise for us: Exclusively for our
#HIVHEROES Edition, he’s going to cut
a portrait of the American artist Keith
Haring. In the 80s, Haring used his artworks
to benefit numerous charitable
activities against AIDS; Haring himself
died of the virus in 1990, two years after
receiving his diagnosis. We want
to give another great big thank you to
Filius for his generous offer, which we
think is amazing! And now the time has
come to let the artist speak for himself.
0002
Filius de Lacroix
Vangardist: We’re sitting here at the
cosy Café Nil in a neighbourhood of
Vienna where, artistically, there’s a
lot going on at the moment. Do you
need these kinds of surroundings as a
source of inspiration?
Filius de Lacroix: Definitely, because I
get a large part of my inspiration from
people-watching in different bars and

122
0003
bang your friends, Filius de Lacroix, 2013
cafés here. This means that many of my
pictures are based on everyday situations,
but the people involved in them
can’t be recognised directly, because
in the end what remains is pure form.
V: You use a special variation of the
silhouette paper cutout technique
that relies on the effect created by
light and shadow. What should we
imagine the development process of a
Lacroix piece to be like?
F: The term cutout is actually misleading
in combination with my work, because
I don’t simply cut out forms, I
walk around with my camera and pick
out specific situations. For more complex
themes, I first sketch their mirrorreversed
image on the back with a pencil.
I always cut them out from the back
though, because that creates nicer cut
lines on the front, which you can see
if you take a closer look. Afterwards, I
mount the whole thing on a cardboard
backing and affix it in certain places.
Sometimes I’m also approached directly
by people at some party who
ask me to do a picture of them. Then I
usually wait for them to get a bit tipsy
before I ask them to accompany me
to the restroom. You wouldn’t believe
all the local in-scene names here in
Vienna who have stripped for me. Of
course I assure everyone, and I always
keep that promise, that I’ll delete their
photos as soon as the images are finished.
This awareness of the evanescence
of my material also intrigues me.
I only work with untreated paper, which
means that after some time it starts to
turn yellow—just like people age and
grow older too. I just find that a beautiful
sight.
V: What’s striking is how monochrome
your pieces are. Is this owing to the
specific material aesthetics of the paper
you use, or is there another idea
behind this “art of omission”?

124
F: There’s one more very important
thought in this: As soon as I add a colour,
and even if it’s only red lipstick, I
automatically dictate a basic emotion
to whoever’s looking at the picture. If
I depict a gangbang scene in black or
red, I instantly give it a touch of wickedness,
of something forbidden. If it’s
all in white, the image retains its virginal
innocence.
V: The topics you work with are quite
varied, and you’ve also created set
designs and commissioned work for
magazines and big fashion companies
like Hermès—where your art is
quickly gaining publicity at the moment.
But that’s not always been the
case, right? What led to your breakthrough
as an artist?
F: There was a time when I’d pretty
much hit rock-bottom. After ten years
in the business, I had to close down
my multimedia agency, and after a
20-year relationship and 15 years of
marriage I got divorced and, as a result,
broke off contact with a lot of socalled
friends. So I was sitting around
my 30-square-metre bachelor pad with
letters from the debt collection agency
piling up, drunk and basically awaiting
eviction. At that low point in my life,
one day I was sitting on the loo taking
a dump, wallowing in self-pity and telling
myself: “God, you’ve managed to
royally fuck up your life, dammit!” And
when I looked down on the ground I
saw, on a sheet of kitchen paper towels
lying around, the face of a woman.
I instantly went to my desk and started
cutting, and after 30 attempts I finally
managed to get one done the way
I’d imagined it. And from that point
things continued looking up, up, up. I
was soon commissioned to do jobs for
a variety of magazines, was suddenly
also selling a lot of my work directly to
private customers, and my pictures for
Peek & Cloppenburg were shown in
Vienna, Berlin and Stuttgart.
V: In November 2012, you had your
first solo exhibition under the interesting
title "Deep Throat". The audience
was presented with a lot of bare
skin, sensual titillation, full penetration,
group sex, big tits, gay cowboys,
and so on—mainly subjects taken
from 70s porn
films. What
inspired you
to deal with
pornography
as a topic?
F: My parents,
intellectual
hippies and
typical products of the 70s, had a very
free, permissive lifestyle. Every year,
we’d go to nude beaches, so as a child
I was constantly surrounded by nudity
and sexuality. My dad would also constantly
take pictures of my naked mum
and next to the morning paper, there’d
"Every year, we’d go to nude
beaches, so as a child I was
constantly surrounded
by nudity and sexuality.
My dad would also
constantly take pictures
be porn mags on the kitchen table; all
this was very normal to me. But when I
hit puberty, I suddenly started to have
a problem with it. All this didn’t fit in
with the coolness propagated in the
80s when, even in the hottest summer
months, people were walking around
in black polo-neck jumpers. Back then,
I wasn’t interested in porn either and
found it extremely boring when my
friends went to the video shop for
porn. I couldn’t understand how anyone
could be so obsessed with sex and
nudity, but now I’ve started to look into
the subject again.
Porn is one of the
oldest art forms,
as people have
always felt the
need to depict
female fertility
in some way or
show men with
erect penises. The film Deep Throat
from 1972 marks the breakthrough
point when porn became mainstream,
and that’s why the aesthetics of my
work make reference to that time.

126
0004
der stricher, Filius de Lacroix, 2013
V: In your opinion, what determines
whether or not a piece of art is perceived
as pornographic?
F: I think what’s essential to understanding
this is that this perception happens
inside the viewer’s head. If what I see
corresponds to some erotic desire of
mine, it becomes pornographic; or
also, if I see something that I can’t reconcile
with my own ethical values.
V: With the way you reprocess porn
films, you confront social phenomena
everyone thought had been long
overcome, yet even half a century after
the hippie generation an open approach
to sexuality remains an illusion.
Do you see it as the artist’s job
to stimulate open public discourse by
provocation and exposure of our vulnerabilities?
F: The way I see it, that’s the main purpose
of art! Too often, art’s only role
is to fit into your beautiful designer
apartment, even if it’s cheap and made
by IKEA. Art has been reduced to fulfilling
a decorative role for ordinary
middle-class consumers or serving as
an object of capitalist speculation for
collectors who only buy what’s expensive
and is likely to become even
more expensive. And if you make art
that, at first glance, doesn’t look like
it might fit into a designer apartment,
you hardly stand a chance of getting
a good gallery interested in you. But
that’s a disaster, because art’s purpose
shouldn’t be that it’s beautiful, but that
it addresses problems!
V: When confronting people with HIV,
no matter what their social background,
many unfortunately still
associate it with things like promiscuity,
homosexuality and guilt due to
a lack of responsibility. Why do you
think these prejudices are so deeply
rooted?

128
F: I can add a few more to the list:
“nigger”, “whore”, “junkie”! It wasn’t
long ago that we started to dismantle
traditional relationship structures and,
especially in less urban areas, the typical
heterosexual relationship with two
children is still seen as the norm. And
so someone who’s stuck in this conservative
“neo-bourgeois” concept
and confronted with HIV will probably
think: “Thank God that could never
happen in my safe, healthy world. And
well, the fact that John got it doesn’t
surprise anyone, does it? Because he
sleeps with prostitutes!” And the media
supports this kind of attitude. You’ll
never read about, say, a nice student
couple who have a completely “normal”
relationship and both have AIDS,
but obviously the example of the junkie
they find in the street we do hear
about, because he had sex with a dealer
from Africa. So the prevalent attitude
is still that AIDS only affects those that
you should stay away from anyway—
those who supposedly threaten the
system. We tend to forget that it’s precisely
because of the threatening role
they’re attributed to having that many
of these people are struggling with social
marginalisation. Among everyone I
know here in Vienna, homosexuality is
generally dealt with quite openly, and I
think in that respect we’re quite a good
model city. Conchita taking part in the
Song Contest for example was quite a
good message to promote tolerance
in the world. And then, in comparison,
we have someone like Andreas Gabalier
who, in his role as a “poor hetero”
feels threatened by things he refuses
to understand! That’s one of the few
things that really piss me off.
V: When looking at your pictures, the
viewer often feels a bit caught out, because
the images make you think of
the porn you’ve watched, even though
you know it’s art you’re looking at,
0005
kein titel Filius de Lacroix, 2014

130
and consequently you’re confronted
with the question of how to categorise
it. Do you deliberately play with this
uncertainty?
F: Absolutely! When people realise
that what they’ve been looking at is a
giant cunt, and they feel shocked for
a moment, but then smile a bit, that
means I’ve won
because in that
instant I’ve managed
to create
a little shift in
them. Maybe
they won’t notice
it straight
away, but eventually
they might
view something
more openly, even if it’s only some little
thing.
V: Our last question: What direction
are you headed in artistically?
F: My next big series will be about
punk icons, but at the moment I’m also
working on another porn series, which
will be shown in a small group show in
connection with Off Art Vienna about
images you’re not allowed to show in
certain galleries because they depict a
giant pussy or whatever.
V: That reminds us a bit of the Salons
de Refusés in 19th century Paris
where artists exhibited pieces which
the official jury had deemed too ugly
or improper, some of which today are
known as important milestones in
art history. So
it seems like
even in today’s
art
world there
are still a lot
of problems
we thought
had been
solved but
that still need
to be dealt with. On that note, we
hope that many people will still get to
see your pictures. Thank you so much
for the interview and for getting involved!
"When people realise that
what they’ve been looking at
is a giant cunt,
and they feel shocked for
a moment, but then smile a bit,
that means I’ve won..."
0006
boots and butts, Filius de Lacroix, 2013

132
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