Third Season of HSE CREATIVE OPEN Comes to an End
On April 4, the HSE Art and Design School hosted an award ceremony for the winners and runners-up of the third season of the HSE CREATIVE OPEN international online competition. This season’s categories included Identity, Object Design, Music Release, Advertising Concept, Illustration, and Game Space.
The HSE CREATIVE OPEN was first held in 2022 at HSE University. The main goal of the competition is to combine original ideas and vibrant projects in all areas of design, contemporary art, and fashion in one platform. Recent graduates and students, as well as graduates of any universities (regardless of their geographical location), can participate in the competition.
![](/mirror/pubs/share/direct/825973148.jpg)
Identity is an integral part of the life and work of every artist and designer, says Mikael Askerov, student mentor of the Communication Design track at the HSE Art and Design School. ‘The identity contest is, first of all, an opportunity to compete, to have a friendly look at the level of each other’s work. It was extremely difficult to evaluate more than 240 projects, but we received a lot of really strong, good works,’ he said.
Based on the results of the reviewed works, the jury forms shortlists of the most interesting projects and determines the top three. The winners receive cash prizes (first place—50,000 rubles, second place—30,000 rubles, third place—20,000 rubles), as well as assistance with project development and implementation. In addition, the winning projects will be published in a growing online archive of works by young talents.
![](/mirror/pubs/share/direct/825972797.jpg)
One of the jury members in the Music Release nomination was Evgeny Voronovsky, musician, sound artist, lecturer and student mentor of the Sound Art and Sound Design track at the HSE Art and Design School. ‘The HSE CREATIVE OPEN is a big breakthrough in terms of music; it gave us an opportunity to promote different types of music,’ emphasised Evgeny Voronovsky. ‘We will work to ensure that the competition becomes large-scale, annual, and that all the latest advanced electronics receive prizes.’
Artem Turkin, winner of the Music Release nomination, created his project in his first year. ‘It was on SoundCloud all this time,’ he said. ‘I’m glad you can listen to it now, because the music is quite soothing, and, on the whole, the work is great, I won’t be modest.’
On April 21, the jury will sum up the results of a special Illustration nomination, in which participants offer new design ideas for Gzhel ceramics branding.
Ilya Kapitonov, winner of the first place in the Music Release category, says that his project is about fantasies and reflections on what the future of people living next to artificial intelligence will be like. ‘People, most likely, will someday be able to upgrade the abilities of artificial intelligence to an uncontrollable state,’ the competition’s winner believes. ‘Accordingly, neuroleptics that can inhibit the cognitive abilities of artificial intelligence are coming to the fore, and our musical work just reflects the possibility that this will happen in the year 3001.’
![](/mirror/pubs/share/direct/825973628.jpg)
The winners of the Game Space nomination received their prizes from Anton Ivlenov, author of the Virtual Space in Unreal Engine course at the HSE Art and Design School and lead developer at Snowbird Games. ‘Art and science have helped us expand the boundaries of the cognisable,’ Anton Ivlenov believes. ‘The game appears where the experience that we feel as our own is synthesised. The competition is not so much about game space in the broadest sense, but about a space in which we can go beyond the boundaries of our physical world, go beyond the boundaries of our fantasies.’ Anton Ivlenov explained that he perceives all the works presented at the HSE CREATIVE OPEN as new worlds, as something independent and unique. ‘Everyone who touches these worlds will be able to discover new meanings, will be able to expand the boundaries of perceiving this space,’ he believes.
Anastasia Goryunova, winner of the Game Space nomination, decided to participate in the competition to draw attention to the expressive and narrative possibilities of virtual space, which, in her opinion, are not being used to their full potential. ‘My project was presented as a kind of spatial teaser, screenshots and a video review of a game location were shown, but it will be possible to fully evaluate the game as soon as the full version is released,’ explained Anastasia Goryunova.
![](/mirror/pubs/share/direct/825973320.jpg)
Maria Stepanova, Head of the Object and Industrial Design track at the HSE Art and Design School, also shared her opinion about the competition, announcing the winners of the Object Design nomination. ‘Making a product design and furniture project is a very difficult task, since it is necessary to take into account all the criteria formed during the analysis, including those of our partners,’ she emphasised. ‘The exhibition industry is constantly evolving, and the furniture market is very competitive, but despite this, some cool innovative solutions were presented.’
Ekaterina Konovalova, winner of the Object Design nomination, said that her project was originally created as a graduation project. ‘The bottom line is that furniture in libraries is going through a renaissance,’ she said. ‘It is often used, but it is not intended for institutions of this kind. Therefore, I decided to understand the needs of libraries and how I can solve them with the help of furniture. This is how my small line, designed specifically for libraries, was created—these are two options for shelving, a table, a chair, and a trolley table.’
More information about the nominations and winners of the third season of the HSE CREATIVE OPEN can be found here (in Russian).
The fourth season of the competition will include the following categories: Font, Web Comics, Event Design, Fashion Brand, Video Art, and Rethinking Crafts. Registration to participate in the competition will open soon—see the website of the HSE Art and Design School for more updates and information.
See also:
‘Intriguing Collaboration’: HSE Student Works Displayed at Yandex Museum
Last year, HSE University and the team at Yandex Museum launched their first joint competition, ‘New Life of Familiar Things,’ involving students from various fields at the HSE Art and Design School. The winners' works are now displayed at the Yandex Museum. The HSE News Service interviewed the winners about their innovative design and implementation.
‘New Life of Familiar Things’: Exhibition of Student Projects at Yandex Museum
On July 3, 2024, the Yandex Museum on Paveletskaya in collaboration with the HSE Art and Design School opened an exhibition showcasing familiar objects that have been given new forms, functions, and meanings. The exhibition features the projects of finalists from a competition organised by the HSE Art and Design School and the Yandex Museum. Visitors can explore works created by young designers and talented students of the HSE Art and Design School, who have reimagined familiar objects in the context ofmodern life.
Season Eight of HSE CREATIVE OPEN Competition Begins
HSE CREATIVE OPEN international online competition of the HSE Art and Design School opens the summer season featuring new categories: ‘Visual Research,’ ‘Game Design,’ ‘Motion Design,’ ‘Poster,’ and ‘Digital Product.’
HSE ART GALLERY 2.0: Relaunch and New Space at the Winzavod
HSE ART GALLERY, which was established in 2018, is launching a new exhibition area. This second gallery will be in Winzavod, one of the largest private centres for contemporary art in Russia. The art space on Paveletskaya will become a place for implementing commercial projects and housing exhibitions by HSE Art and Design students and graduates.
HSE University and Pobeda Airlines Launch Joint Competition
HSE Art and Design School, in collaboration with the Pobeda Airlines, has announced the start of a competition to create a new uniform design for flight attendants and representatives of the airline. Young professional designers, as well as students over 18 years old studying at Russian universities in full-time and part-time programmes in the field of ‘Design and Fashion,’ will have the opportunity to showcase their talent.
Exhibition by HSE Art and Design School Students Now Open at Fabrika Centre
The Fabrika Centre for Creative Industries is hosting a graduation exhibition by bachelor’s students of Contemporary Art at the HSE Art and Design School. In the exhibition titled ‘Freedom of Absurdity’, the early-career artists present their interpretations of melancholy. The exhibition is open to visitors until April 21, 2024, and admission is free of charge.
‘The Form of a Building Plays a Supportive Role; the Main Thing is Its Content’
Environmental design shapes the reality around us. It is the appearance of spaces, buildings, and objects that surround us. What is happening in this field today? What awaits us in the future? And how do we prepare for it? The HSE News Service discussed these and many other topics with Boris Bernaskoni, Head of Environmental Design Studies at the HSE Art and Design School.
Still the Best: HSE Art and Design School at the World Brand Design Society
HSE Art and Design students, graduates, and curators have been participating in the World Brand Design Society international competition for several years. The winter of 2023/24 was no exception—several projects won in various categories.
Second Season of ‘Parajanov—100’ Contest Launched at HSE Art and Design School
As part of a continuing exploration of the national cultural context, the HSE University Art and Design School and the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University, in collaboration with the Sergei Parajanov Museum and the Artists' Union of Armenia, have announced the second open international online contest for collage in animation dedicated to the centenary of Sergei Parajanov’s birth.
HSE Art and Design School Opens First University Concept Store
In December, HSE University launched its first concept store—the HSE ART AND DESIGN STORE (part of the HSE Art and Design School). The new space offers ample opportunities for the successful implementation of design projects and features young and promising brands from students, graduates, and teachers of the HSE University Art and Design School.