Petra Moser: Close-ups from the edge of the stage

For the exhibition at the SR Archive of Austrian Popular Music in the MQ Showrooms at the Museumsquartier, Petra Moser presents photographic moments of Austrian bands and artists at the intersection of performance, stage, and audience. In doing so, the stage becomes visible as an additional instrument for artistic expression—and, for music lovers, audible as well. The dynamic Linz-based photographer not only captures music through her lens but has also worked as a music editor at Radio FRO since 2001. This familiarity with the medial nature of music and expression is impressively evident in her photography.

Petra Moser’s work is closely tied to event and stage photography, but by no means limited to it. Particularly noteworthy are three photo series that demonstrate her sensitive photographic work even beyond European stages. In 2019, for example, she captured the life and music of the Tonga people in southern Zambia in an intimate and accessible way.

Also worth mentioning is her 2015 documentary photo series on the Pink Noise Girls Rock Camp in Linz, where she used her camera to document a series of music workshops for Flinta* individuals. While the dopamine-inducing qualities of Stories and posts reign supreme on social media, Petra Moser captures quiet, intense moments of connection between women* here, thereby opening up meaningful spaces beyond the superficiality and fast pace of social media.

Petra Moser (b. 1979) lives and works in Linz; she has been working as a freelance photographer since 2011 and as a music editor at Radio FRO since 2001.