Account of the Life Ball 2005 in Vienna
گزارشی از لايف بال 2005 وين

Life Ball is one of Europe's largest AIDS charity events. Ever since the first Life Ball in 1993, it has grown to be a widely accepted and renowned society event, at the same time being free-spirited and standing for open-mindedness and diversity in society. Life Ball has always been dedicated to celebrate life in a colourful and spectacular way by uniting for one night an immense diversity of people, who simply want to dance through the night in the most extravagant way possible. Life Ball is organised by Aids Life, an independent non-profit organisation with the objective to raise funds in support of different organisations involved in helping and working with HIV+ and people living with AIDS. The entire net proceeds of the annual event are donated to selected projects and non profit HIV/AIDS organisations.

When I left home with a camera on the night of the 21st of May, 2005, I did not quite know, what was waiting for me on one of the most interesting historic squares in Vienna. All through the day I have been meeting people with their faces painted, with their hair clutched in impossible ways in metro and on the streets. The passer-bys just smiled: “Today is the Life Ball”

In front of the City Hall an enormous stage stretched across the square in the shape of a huge red ribbon, trembling under the feet of the top world models. The opening event of the evening – a fashion show by Donatella Versace. All the space around the stage was filled with enough people to constitute a small city – 35000 Viennese, the international media and the city's guests from all over the world to witness the spectacle live and for free.

Many people came to the City Hall square in spectacular costumes, decorated with feathers, paint, sparkles, chains and bracelets. Having spent so much time preparing themselves for this night, they were very eager to pose for numerous pictures that so many people, including me, were taking.

Unfortunately, I came quite late in the night, and around 9:30 the show was already over. I sneaked to the front row, trying to catch a glimpse of those, who were lucky enough to be allowed to continue with the night inside the City Hall. As I was taking last shots, a woman in a black “service” T-shirt came up to me and, handing me a plastic bracelet – a pass to go inside – whispered: “Do you want to go in? I have to leave now, but you can take the ticket. Go ahead”. She did not need to ask me twice – a second later I was already running to take my part in the carnival.

Getting inside the City Hall was not very easy – the number of guests, crowding the stairs in their illustrious costumes, was overwhelming. In a little open space to the side of the City Hall the music was breaking the speakers, people were dancing, drinking, taking rides on a shiny carousel.

Inside it was even more crowded. Barons and baronesses, villagers, nurses, ghosts and werewolves greeted each other on every corner, taking much pleasure in posing for the pictures. In every room of the 2 nd floor there was created a different atmosphere, different music was playing, sometimes louder, sometimes softer, but in every corner of this majestic building there was happiness, joy and laughter!

Many guests, instead of putting on tiring heavy costumes, resorted to body art, creating unbelievable masterpieces. It is hard even to describe, what those people were representing, and the level of skill of the artists is beyond all praises.

One of the halls was arranged for quite sitting and chatting, another was transformed into a hair salon, where crazy artists were bringing to life all of their wildest fantasies on the heads of the exhilarated guests. In every hall there was music, dancing, cheering.

I woke up around 12, like a proper Cinderella – it was time to run, if I wanted to catch the last train home. The people kept streaming in, more bright and colourful than ever. Dancing and cheering was in its zenith. I wish I could have stayed longer. Well, maybe next year.