Eroticism is in our heads, erotic complications are fantasies in print that stimulate all the senses. Is non-visual erotic material an inspiration? Mike Koedinger’s question put to the circle of makers of erotic magazines results in some surprising answers: Frank Rocholl prefers closeness to over-intellectualised text, prefers interviews with people that »get up closer«. Exciting is also working with things that are not visible, that mainly take place in the head.

The self-made magazine »Handjob« comes wrapped in plastic. It is more an art object than a journal, it is dedicated to the theme of masturbation. Josie Majetić had the idea of making a magazine about three years ago. She wanted an experimental space, and a product that would balance out her ordinary job as a graphic designer. But how do you speak about a topic you don’t normally speak about? Majetić tried advanced methods of public visualization, in order to present a very private subject. First, she asked friends and acquaintances. Hardly anyone wanted to answer her questions.

Mirage is a joint venture by Frank Rocholl, the editor, and the South African fashion photographer Henrik Purienne. Mirage has 400 pages and wants to be a hybrid of a fashion and an erotic magazine. The journal is extremely successful on its key markets in the USA, Asia and France. Mirage is rather an object than a publication, its main feature being sumptuous compositions of images and an unconventional aesthetic appeal that Frank Rocholl calls »stimulated experiences«. Thus, Rocholl and Puriell rely on a printed product, i.e.

In the beginning, when »Talc«, a design magazine for adults in modern times, came into being, there was the internet. Designer Edvard Vince and the author and strategy developer Fauzia Musa launched a kickstarter campaign, because they wanted to be independent and start a magazine free from the constraints that an alliance with a traditional publisher would imply. Their crowd-funding concept has proved to be successful. »Talc magazine« - subtitled »Visual Stimulus« - brought the first print edition to the market in 2013.

»We still feature sexy images, but it's more art than eroticism now«. A quote from a video flashes up as a woman's hand with red fingernails scrolls through the pages of a magazine. For Mike Koedinger, CEO of Maison Moderne, this is the difference between ›old porn‹, today mostly found in the digital space, and printed erotica. The erotic becomes an event, a tactile experience to be touched, its ownership savoured, not concealed.

The name Harri Peccinotti is synonymous with sensuality and eroticism, just think of the Pirelli Calender, the Rolling Stone of the 1950s, the British edition of Vanity Fair or Nova magazine. Peccinotti's imagery has made him one of the giants of 20th century art and fashion photography on which he has been a significant influence. The designer actually began his career in a rather unphotographic environment: making cover designs for a jazz label, advertising, graphics and typography.

»Hello Munich!« roars Pekka Toivonen to his stunned audience. The crowd falls silent for a video that plays with conventions from the porn and sex industry. Between latex fetish, a quickie threesome, oversized plastic penises and cucumbers Toivonen creates an absurd world in which young people mimic an air of sexual disengagement. A sad world of clichés and porn gestures that forfeits any erotic charge and at the same time makes merciless fun of these conventions. This is art that you have to respond to. The audience was struck dumb for a moment.