Premio Combat Prize

”The series ”Heaven on Earth” is addressing the world of illusion at the hooker alley in Vienna.

In 2011 the Viennese government strictly restricted the areas where prostitution is allowed. Since then, there have been only two small zones left. One is around a gas station beside the highway No.1 and the other one is in a street outside the Wurstelprater amusement park. Sex workers have been swept away from the city centre to small, fucked up and unsafe outskirts areas. Work conditions became even worse.

Prostitutes have to stand the high emotional pressure related to the sex worker job. On the other hand they have to keep up the illusion. Their suitors must think they are attractive sexual objects, which is worth to have paid sex with.

For the photography series, I went on site and asked prostitutes to hold a smiley on a yellow round cardboard. That was a challenge as most of the women were scared of losing their whole social life in just one picture. Though they could hide their face behind a smiley, they were afraid that their family, their relatives and friends could identify their silhouette.
Sex workers are one of the most stigmatized and discriminated groups within the society. The question is why? And what makes the difference to other jobs? The difference between them and a craftsman is obvious, but what about an artist?”