HIDDEN GIANTS.

RIVER LIFE ELEVATED.

Hidden Giants elevates secretive Lake Sturgeon to ethereal heights, inspiring a sense of connection and awe with one of our largest and most unseen neighbours, and the protection of our waterways.

Lake Sturgeon, Alberta’s largest and oldest fish, can be found in the North and South Saskatchewan Rivers. True river monsters, they live long and secretive lives. Within our rivers, these hidden giants are listed as a threatened species, their populations declining due to overfishing, habitat degradation, pollution, and the construction of dams. Thanks to recovery efforts, their populations are slowly rebounding.

Created with almost exclusively recycled plastics, including litter collected from Edmonton’s river valley, Hidden Giants highlights the dangers and potential of single-use plastics.

Suspended in the air, this larger-than-life Lake Sturgeon is hollow and open on the bottom, allowing visitors to duck their heads into it and become one with the great fish. Inside, a galaxy of stars and layers of light surrounds the viewer. The fish’s body is articulated, swaying gently and organically, like a fish swimming downriver.

In addition to recycled plastic, this fourteen foot long installation is made from wire, chain, and a wooden frame. Energy-efficient LED lights and minimal new material make this piece highly sustainable.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

ELIAS SEEMANN.

Elias Seemann is a mixed-media Surrealist artist based in Edmonton. They recently graduated with distinction from MacEwan University with a Studio Arts Diploma. Working primarily with acrylics and recycled materials, Seemann is known for their large-scale installations and sculptures. Their works are vibrant and unusual, with a focus on ecology and liminal spaces, often implementing Surrealist Automatic art processes. Their work is influenced by their passion for biology, Surrealism, existential philosophy, and the psychedelic movement.

Elias’ creative team includes their husband, a dedicated Studio technician highly skilled at building and logistics. Together, they make a powerhouse team.

Seemann has primarily exhibited their work at Macewan University during their studies, winning second place in Macewan’s 50th Anniversary Studio Art’s Prize in 2022 for their work after-life. They have also exhibited with the Alberta Society of Artists in Calgary in 2023 and the Edmonton Works Art and Design Festival in 2017. In 2024, Seemann also taught a workshop through the Mitchell Art Gallery on Surrealist Automatic Practices. 

Fascinated by the weird and unsettling, Seemann’s work fights back against societal taboos surrounding the strange and unseen parts of the natural world.

Follow Elias Seemann:

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