Public Art & Monumental Sculpture — V+V ArtLegacy, Orange County
V+V ArtLegacy creates contemporary public art and monumental sculpture for cities, developers, parks, and hospitality environments. The studio is based in Orange County and serves the Los Angeles area.
Featured Projects: ADAPT OR DIE | LAGUNA CONNECTION | SOLAR | CHURCH | OWLS | DREAM
ADAPT OR DIE
This City Definitely Needed a Heart — So We Created One
For V+V ArtLegacy, Adapt or Die is a reflection on life, adaptation, and human existence in a constantly changing world.
Evolution has always been driven by the same principle: organisms either adapt to changing conditions or risk extinction. Today, in the era of AI and rapidly evolving cultural systems, this idea feels more relevant than ever.
The monumental stone Heart at the center of the project is not a symbol of coldness or emotional emptiness. Instead, it represents a different form of sensitivity—a new way of perceiving, connecting with, and responding to the surrounding world. We believe people truly belong in places where their inner world resonates with their environment. That idea forms the philosophical core of Adapt or Die.
The project also marked an important stage in the evolution of V+V ArtLegacy, bringing together CNC technologies, 3D printing, engineering-based fabrication, and our academic artistic training within a single sculptural system.
For us, technology was never intended to replace art, but to become an integral part of its language. In many ways, Adapt or Die also reflects V+V ArtLegacy's own process of adaptation.
By Viktor Erdyneev & VASA (Vasilisa Lipatova) in collaboration with SOIA Design
LAGUNA CONNECTION
Between the Ocean and Humanity
Laguna Connection is a site-specific public artwork by V+V ArtLegacy created for Laguna Beach—one of California's most celebrated art communities. The project was selected as the winning proposal in the city's public art competition, and we are honored that it has become part of Laguna Beach's public landscape.
Inspired by the city's unique relationship between art, community, and the ocean, the sculpture features a brightly colored fish inside a classic red telephone booth, transforming a familiar urban object into a poetic dialogue between humanity and the sea.
Every V+V ArtLegacy project begins with a careful study of place. For Laguna Connection, we wanted to create a work that reflects Laguna Beach's creative energy while inviting curiosity, conversation, and interaction. The vibrant patterns covering the fish draw inspiration from marine life and the city's rich artistic heritage.
Handcrafted entirely by V+V ArtLegacy—from the internal steel structure and sculptural fabrication to the final painted surface and UV-protective finish—the mixed-media sculpture explores themes of ecology, communication, imagination, and the invisible connection between people and the natural world.
More than a sculpture, Laguna Connection was conceived as a landmark, a conversation starter, and a memorable public experience that celebrates the spirit of Laguna Beach.
By Viktor Erdyneev & VASA (Vasilisa Lipatova)
SOLAR
From the Space Atlas series by VASA
Solar became the first large-scale sculpture in the Space Atlas series, following earlier interior objects and conceptual spatial works. SurFaceLab Art Gallery specially commissioned the project for a solo exhibition dedicated to developing the Space Atlas universe.
Created for the exhibition, Solar was conceived as a complete artistic statement, translating the core ideas of the series into monumental physical space. It marked a shift from conceptual and interior works into an immersive architectural scale.
The project also posed a significant engineering challenge. Installed in a historic building with limited access points, the sculpture had to be precisely divided, transported in sections, and reassembled on site without compromising its structure or visual continuity. This process became an integral part of the work, where artistic vision and engineering innovation worked in tandem.
Moving beyond the traditional gallery format, Solar transforms cosmic structures into an immersive spatial experience, inviting viewers to engage with the work as part of their environment.
At its core, the Space Atlas series explores the fragile distance between human imagination and reality. Solar reflects this idea: what feels distant and unreachable is often closer than it appears, and the greatest challenge is finding a way to bring a dream into the physical world.
By VASA (Vasilisa Lipatova)
ALTAR CROSSES & THE LAST SUPPER
Sacred Art, Architecture & Liturgical Design
This project explores the relationship between sacred art, architecture, theology, and liturgical space.
Developed in close collaboration with clergy, theologians, architects, mosaic artists, sculptors, and master craftsmen, it established a unified artistic language for three altar spaces within the church.
At its center is a contemporary interpretation of The Last Supper, positioned above the altar entrances. Rather than existing as an independent artwork, the composition is integrated into the architecture itself, framing the sanctuary openings as symbolic thresholds between the earthly and the sacred.
Each composition is centered on a relief of Christ, inspired by traditional Orthodox iconography and reimagined as a radiant sun—a symbol of divine presence, light, and spiritual transformation. The twelve apostles surround Christ in paired groups, creating a continuous visual dialogue across the architectural structure.
The project combines bronze relief sculpture, mosaic, liturgical symbolism, and contemporary architectural integration. Every element was developed through extensive theological, artistic, and historical research to ensure symbolic depth and architectural harmony.
Special attention was devoted to the altar crosses and liturgical finials. Each cross was individually designed and sculpted, with carefully selected natural stones giving every piece a distinct identity while preserving a unified visual language throughout the project.
For V+V ArtLegacy, the project exemplifies the value of interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together specialists from multiple fields to unite centuries-old spiritual traditions, contemporary craftsmanship, and architectural thinking within a single artistic environment.
More than a decorative addition, the project became a dialogue between faith, space, history, and community—demonstrating how sacred art can continue to evolve while remaining deeply rooted in tradition.
By Viktor Erdyneev & VASA (Vasilisa Lipatova)
OWLS
Hospitality Art & Placemaking
Owls is a site-specific hospitality art installation created for one of the city's best-known family-owned restaurants, a place that has welcomed generations of visitors and become part of the neighborhood's cultural memory.
The installation features a flock of illuminated owls nestled within the branches of a monumental tree. As night falls, the owls come to life through light, transforming the restaurant into a recognizable landmark and creating an experience guests remember long after they leave.
In European traditions, owls symbolize wisdom, memory, and the continuity of generations. Often regarded as guardians of place, they became the guiding metaphor for the project.
From the beginning, the installation was based on a simple idea: memorable art attracts people more powerfully than advertising. Visitors may forget a sign or a billboard, but they remember the place where glowing owls gather in the branches above them.
Combining sculpture, lighting design, storytelling, and placemaking, Owls transforms throughout the day. By daylight, it blends naturally into the architectural landscape; after dark, it becomes a luminous presence that fills the space with warmth, wonder, and discovery.
Created through close collaboration between sculptors, engineers, lighting specialists, and fabricators, each owl was individually sculpted, illuminated, and positioned to create a harmonious composition.
For V+V ArtLegacy, Owls demonstrates how art can become the defining identity of a hospitality destination—creating atmosphere, lasting memories, and an emotional connection that extends far beyond a single visit.
By Viktor Erdyneev & VASA (Vasilisa Lipatova)
DREAM
Public Art for a Library
Dream is a large-scale public artwork by V+V ArtLegacy created for a central city library and inspired by Eugene Onegin, Alexander Pushkin's literary masterpiece.
Designed as an interactive sculptural puzzle, the project transforms classical literature into a physical, spatial experience. The sculpture consists of sixteen rotating relief panels: one side features original sculptural compositions, while the reverse is engraved with quotations from the novel in stainless steel.
The project was developed in collaboration with literary scholars, graphic artists, engineers, sculptors, and steel fabricators. Every relief underwent extensive artistic development and received approval through official public art and state cultural commissions.
The composition functions as a conceptual map of Eugene Onegin. Its outer structure represents the novel's central narrative, while the inner square is devoted to Tatiana's dream—the symbolic subconscious heart of the story, where its emotional and philosophical themes converge.
The sixteen panels are organized into thematic sequences exploring society, fate, vanity, love, human choice, and the consequences of those choices.
Rather than illustrating literature, Dream reimagines one of the world's greatest poetic works as an immersive public artwork, where sculpture, text, architecture, and audience interaction come together to create a shared cultural experience.
By Viktor Erdyneev & VASA (Vasilisa Lipatova)
How does a full-cycle public art studio handle a project from concept to installation?
V+V ArtLegacy manages the full arc of every commission in-house: concept development, engineering, casting, and on-site installation with no outsourcing. The studio works at any scale from 14 inches to 50 feet in bronze, steel, composite, and mixed media. With 17 years of joint practice and more than 250 completed projects, the team is one of the few full-cycle conception-and-foundry studios based in Orange County.
What types of public art does a studio near Los Angeles create for cities and developers?
V+V ArtLegacy develops landmark sculpture, site-specific works, civic art, wildlife public sculpture, gateway pieces, park installations, and immersive environments. Projects range from temporary installations to permanent large-scale commissions. Laguna Beach selected the studio's Laguna Connection through a competitive public art process, resulting in a mixed-media work designed for long-term outdoor conditions.
How widely do Americans encounter art in everyday public spaces?
77% of Americans say they experienced the arts in a "non-arts" venue — a park, shopping mall, hospital, or airport.
Source: [*Americans Speak Out About the Arts in 2023*], conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Americans for the Arts, 3,062 respondents, July 2023. Public sculpture in parks, mixed-use developments, and civic spaces reaches audiences far beyond traditional art institutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
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V+V ArtLegacy creates monumental sculpture, landmark sculpture, site-specific works, civic art, wildlife public sculpture, gateway structures, memorial sculpture, hospitality public art, and immersive environments. Projects range from temporary installations to permanent large-scale commissions. The studio manages the full arc — concept, engineering, fabrication, and installation — entirely in-house, with no outsourcing.
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Ideally, public sculpture should enter the project at the conceptual and architectural development stage. Early integration allows the sculpture to connect fully with architecture, landscape, circulation, lighting, and the emotional experience of the space. V+V ArtLegacy works with developers, architects, landscape architects, and city officials from the earliest planning phases rather than being brought in as a finishing element.
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Yes. V+V ArtLegacy develops fabrication and engineering strategies across a range of scales, materials, and technical conditions. The studio works from 14 inches to 50 feet in bronze, steel, composite materials, concrete, and mixed media. Project budgets for public commissions typically range from $50,000 for smaller civic works to $400,000 or more for large monumental installations, depending on material, scale, and site complexity.
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Look for academic training in monumental sculpture, a track record of completing large public commissions, engineering capability, and documented institutional recognition. Vasilisa Lipatova and Viktor Erdyneev both trained at the Stroganov Moscow State Academy of Arts and Industry. Works by both founders are held in four national museum collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery — Russia's national art museum. Gates won First Prize in an international public art competition.
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A landmark sculpture creates visual identity: a point of recognition, memory, gathering, and emotional attachment within public space. Laguna Beach selected V+V ArtLegacy's Laguna Connection through a competitive public art process — the work became part of the city's cultural landscape at the intersection of art community, coastal identity, and civic pride. The studio is based in Orange County and serves Los Angeles.
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Landmark sculpture is especially effective in mixed-use developments, civic plazas, hospitality environments, waterfront projects, parks, campuses, and cultural districts — spaces where anonymous architecture needs emotional identity and long-term memorability. V+V ArtLegacy works at scales from 14 inches to 50 feet, in bronze, stainless steel, structural steel, composite, and mixed media, managing concept to installation in-house.
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V+V ArtLegacy builds landmark sculpture, civic art, monumental wildlife sculpture, gateway structures, landscape-integrated installations, and experiential placemaking systems. The studio manages concept development, public art consulting, engineering, fabrication, and installation entirely in-house — with no outsourcing. Projects range from 14 inches to 50 feet in bronze, steel, composite, and mixed media. Laguna Beach selected the studio's Laguna Connection through a competitive public art process.
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Gates won First Prize in an international public art competition organized by the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society and was installed along a major pilgrimage route annually visited by thousands. Dream Helm was commissioned for Fili Park in Moscow in 2012 through a collaboration with the city park administration. Laguna Connection was selected through a competitive process in Laguna Beach, California. All three projects were delivered full-cycle, in-house.