The exhibition features photograms of round obsidian discs from Mexico. On guided tours in Teotihuacán, it is said that the Aztecs used obsidian discs, consisting of lava glass, to observe the sun. Inspired by this story, I drew a parallel to the photographic lens, a tool through which the world can be viewed. So I wanted to look through the obsidian discs.
Exposed by the sun, both the shape of the obsidian discs and their structure become visible. Thus, the circle is complete: observing the sun through the obsidian discs and creating the photograms with the help of the sun.
About the artist:
Sophie Poelzl (*1989) lives and works in Vienna. Her practice explores how images are created, how we see, and how places, situations and objects can be viewed from new perspectives. In 2025, she received the Austrian State Scholarship for Photography. Her most recent exhibitions include presentations at ClubClub and Camera Austria.