PLATO

History is cyclical. Civilizations rise and fall, nature reclaims what was built and, from the ruins, new structures emerge. Soft Horizons is an exploration of this eternal loop – where myth, technology and entropy converge in a meditation on power and identity. Drawing inspiration from classical mythology, historical narratives and the digital age, this evolving body of work blurs the boundaries between creation and decay, reality and imagination. 

 

The process begins with clay maquettes, followed by drawings, which act as a scaffolding for the larger compositions – allowing a physical, tactile engagement with form before its transition into painting and other media. Figures emerge from eroded landscapes, suspended in moments of tension – some frozen in the grandeur of empire, others dissolving into abstraction, reclaimed by nature or the subconscious. Echoes of Pygmalion and Galatea, Prometheus shaping mankind from clay and the fragmented reliefs of ancient ruins intertwine with contemporary anxieties about artificial intelligence, cultural tribalism and the shifting nature of human perception.

 

A key theme of the exhibition is the interplay between control and chaos. Some paintings exude meticulous order, while others are layered with change and fluidity, inviting ambiguity. The ‘grey area’ – a space of curiosity and transformation – emerges as a central motif, challenging rigid binaries of good and bad, past and future. This liminal space, much like history itself, is constantly rewritten.

 

The works unfold as a journey: from verdant greenery overtaking forgotten structures to stark, enigmatic figures navigating an uncertain world. Mythological references – of Leda and the Swan, of Hermes and Aphrodite – are reimagined. Figures, as if emerging from the legendary ancient battle between the Olympian gods and the Giants, Gigantomachy, appear fragmented and distorted, their original narratives obscured and reinterpreted. Cinematic lighting, surreal compositions and sporadic AI-aided distortions push these classical foundations into new, at times unsettling territories.

 

Ultimately, Soft Horizons invites the viewers to reflect on the impermanence of power and the resilience of nature. In an era where history is rewritten in real time, these paintings serve as artifacts of both a distant past and a speculative future. What remains when structures collapse? What new forms emerge from the ruins? The answers lie in the tension between decay and renewal, order and entropy, illusion and reality.

 

— Erik Nieminen

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Erik Nieminen (b.1985, Ottawa) identifies his work as being post-photographic, aiming to explore semi-real spaces where natural and human-made elements come into confrontation. Questioning the notion that humanity can control nature, Nieminen explores the dissolution of space, perspective and light to create a pictorial world that is connected to reality yet defies recognition. 
 
Erik Nieminen earned his BFA from the University of Ottawa (2007) and MFA from Concordia University in Montreal (2010). His recent solo exhibitions include Soft Horizons, PLATO, NY; Metamorphosis I – Possible Worlds, Galerie Kremers, Berlin; Freefall, Galerie McClure, Montreal; Paradise, High Line Nine Gallery, NY; The Unreal, Albemarle Gallery, London; Anonymous, Concordia University, Montreal, among others. Recent group exhibitions include Magische Räume, Galerie Kremers, Berlin; Lines Fiction/Drawing, Kunsthaus Projektraum Erfurt; Pulp Fiction, PLATO, NY; Double Vision, PLATO, NY; Soft Edges, Galerie Cache, Montreal; Immersive Environments, The Yard, NY; Beyond Drawing, ZAK Zentrum für Aktuelle Kunst, Berlin; Refractions, Galerie 2112, Montreal; Pending Issues, Galerie Weisser Elefant, Berlin; London City Island Collective, Albemarle/Pontone Gallery, London; Holding Pattern, City Hall Art Gallery, Ottawa, among many others.

Nieminen is the recipient of numerous grants, including the Quebec Council for the Arts Creation Grant (2025); the Canada Council Research and Creation Grant in (2021) and Elizabeth Greenshields Grant (2018, 2014, 2011). He was the Grand Prize Winner for the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series (2018).  The artist’s work is housed in many prestigious public and private collections such as City of Ottawa, City of Laval, University of Ottawa, Maison de La culture Marie-Uguay, Fairmount Chateau Laurier, Ford Motor Company, Brookstreet Hotel and Artsy.net, among others.