On Stellar Rays is pleased to present Erolastika, the first solo exhibition of Maria Petschnig in the United States. On view will be two video installations and related photographs. Petschnig will present a new performance on February 24, 2010 at 7pm.

Petschnig’s videos and performances confront dominant ideals and norms surrounding gender and sex, simultaneously revealing and thwarting the desire for an idealized feminine identity. Petschnig often performs dual roles in her work: that of protagonist, subjugating her body to the eyes of the camera and public, and that of director, involving the spectator in the construction of narrative and character. In her new work, Petschnig complicates her position by relinquishing control and introducing new participants, exploring alternative vantage points and behavioral codes. Petschnig’s carefully considered viewing environments deny the privilege of safe and passive observation, further heightening the awareness of one’s voyeuristic inclinations.

The works in Erolastika were inspired by found photographs. In 2009, as Petschnig browsed New York flea markets in search of material for her archive of found images, she came upon elaborately-staged erotic photographs of anonymous women. The images were shot in a consistent visual style that led her to suspect they were taken by the same photographer. After several return visits, the vendor offered to connect her with the photographer, Viktor, a Russian living in New York and St. Petersburg, Russia. The video De Niña a Mujer tracks Petschnig’s ensuing relationship with Viktor and is inspired by his strange world. It was shot during Petschnig’s recent visit to Russia, where she was privy to photo sessions in Viktor’s home.

A two-channel video installation in the gallery basement, set in a bedroom environment, further explores boundaries of intimacy, fantasy and sexuality. The installation functions to undermine and subvert conventional notions of home as a place of safety and comfort. A sequence of photographs made in collaboration with Viktor will also be on view.

Maria Petschnig was born in Klagenfurt, Austria in 1977 and currently lives and works in New York. In 2010 she had a solo exhibition at the Stadtturmgalerie, Innsbruck, Austria with accompanying catalog. Petschnig’s work was recently on view in Greater New York 2010 at MoMA/PS1, Queens, NY (2010); Which Witch is Which? and/or Summertime at White Flag Projects, St Louis, MO (2010); Robert Melee’s Talent Show at The Kitchen, New York, NY (2010); Triennale Linz 1.0 at Museum of Modern Art, Linz-Lentos, Austria; Alpha & at On Stellar Rays, New York, NY (2010); Born to Perform at 179 Canal, New York, NY (2009); Creative Migration at The Austrian Cultural Forum New York, NY (2009).