The Paddocks is pleased to participate in Art Athina 2025 with a solo presentation by Viktoria Nianiou. The works were created on the island of Lesvos during the summer of 2025, inspired by its landscapes and sunsets.
18 – 22 September 2025
Project Spaces, Booth C1
Zappeion Megaron, Athens
Nianiou weaves dreamlike, fairy-tale narratives through her work, developing a personal symbolic vocabulary of elements such as suns, swords, stars, and horses. The story presented at Art Athina 2025 is titled He gifted her a white horse, a sword, and a wish.
A white horse racing to catch the last light of the sun before it sinks into the sea. A story unfolding during sunset. In the background, a castle–drawn during Art Athina–serves as a symbol of sanctuary, anchoring the narrative in a sense of safety and belonging.
A white horse,
a sword,
and a wish.
Just before the sun begins to sink.
She runs, runs, runs—
through blue mountains, over countless seas.
She runs and wonders what she managed to see.
He runs, runs, runs—
while thoughts race endlessly beside him.
Just before the sun begins to sink.
He gifted her a white horse, a sword, and a wish.
(A white horse to catch the last light,
a sword to frighten her fears away,
and a wish so she could dream again.)
Text by Viktoria Nianiou
