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Francisco Infante-Arana, Platon Infante.
Celestial Artefacts

A special edition dedicated to the eponymous art project for the GES-2: Prospekt programme.

This special edition from V–A–C Press is dedicated to Celestial Artefacts, a project by artists Francisco and Platon Infante, created as part of the GES-2: Prospekt programme. The publication features texts by programme curator Alisa Prudnikova, concept author Polina Lobachevskaya, artist Francisco Infante-Arana, and art critics Liza Plavinskaya, John Ellis Bowlt, and Nicoletta Misler. It also includes conversations between journalist Alena Doletskaya and Polina Lobachevskaya, as well as senior V–A–C Press editor Daniil Beltsov and Platon Infante.

Photo: Ruslan Shavaleev

Francisco Infante-Arana (b. 1943) is a Russian artist, photographer, and art theorist. A pioneer of land art and kinetic art in the USSR and Russia, Infante-Arana explored ways to capture movement in drawing during the 1960s. By the 1970s, he had begun creating abstract installations—referred to as “artefacts”—in natural landscapes, integrating mirrors, moving elements, and optical illusions into his work.

Platon Infante (b. 1978) is a contemporary Russian artist and filmmaker known for his multimedia works and installations. His practice investigates the interaction between real and virtual spaces and the phenomena that arise at their boundaries. Born to artists Francisco Infante and Nonna Goryunova, he represents a lineage of Russian kinetic art that spans from the 1970s to the 2010s.

Francisco Infante’s artefacts have traditionally been ephemeral—akin to butterflies—existing only in brief encounters with the sky, water, snow, and plants before being dismantled and captured through photography. Now, within the measured environment of GES-2, Celestial Artefacts takes on a new dimension. Infante’s installation finds resonance with the visionary architecture of Renzo Piano, creating a dynamic yet reciprocal connection. This interaction transforms Celestial Artefacts into an organic component of the House of Culture—just as the House of Culture itself becomes part of the artwork’s evolving narrative.

— John Ellis Bowlt, Nicoletta Misler, “And yet they turn: Celestial Artefacts at GES-2”

Each article explores the key themes of the Celestial Artefacts installation and the creative methodology of Francisco and Platon Infante. Central to their artistic vision are metaphors of time and infinity, as well as the concept of the “artifact, ” which merges natural and artificial elements.

A particular focus of the publication is the interaction between Celestial Artefacts and the architectural ensemble of the GES-2 House of Culture. Unified by themes of transparency, light, and reflection, this dialogue is visually presented in a series of photographs that complement the textual analysis.

The GES-2: Prospekt programme is dedicated to supporting artistic production in Russia. The works featured in the programme are created by contemporary Russian artists and showcase a diverse range of artistic methods, all in conversation with the House of Culture’s architecture.

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