HSE CREATIVE OPEN: A Global Student Competition by HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL
The competition aims to bring together original ideas and standout projects across design, contemporary art, and fashion, while highlighting career opportunities in the creative industry.
Students from any university, anywhere in the world, are welcome to participate.
About the nomination
Visual Research is a conceptual, informative, and systematic way to explore any phenomenon through visual materials—artworks, illustrations, photographs, films, animated shorts, comics, and more. This longread acts as a research project, positioning the student as author, editor, and art director. Using the platform’s tools, participants can offer insights into classical or contemporary culture, presenting a conceptual vision of their chosen subject supported by well-balanced, compelling visuals.
All visual research must be submitted as a longread on hsedesign.ru.
For the 2025 Visual Research nomination, we are looking for submissions that explore the dialogue between classical and contemporary art and design. We welcome longreads that examine «wandering narratives, ” images that evolve across eras, and works that create visual echoes or reinterpretations of old masters through a contemporary lens.
Submission requirements
Main Requirement: an original research question. Exceptional interdisciplinary research is highly encouraged.
Students and recent graduates (within one year of completing their studies) from any educational institution or design program are eligible. Projects may be submitted in Russian or English.
Project Contents:
• Vertical cover • Research concept (minimum 2,500 characters) • Sequence of images and text blocks presenting the visual research material (organizing the material into sections is recommended) • Conclusion summarizing the research • List of textual and visual sources
Competition timeline
October 31 — Project submissions open
April 15 — Final deadline
Prizes
1st Place: 50,000 RUB 2nd Place: 30,000 RUB 3rd Place: 20,000 RUB
Interested in participating? We’ve prepared two guides—a text guide and a video guide—showing how to sign up, create a project, and submit it to a competition.
References
Educational tracks
HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL offers the Contemporary Art program, with undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education options.
With a project-based learning approach, professional portfolio development, experienced instructors, and direct exposure to the creative industries, our graduates go on to become internationally recognized professionals in design, fashion, contemporary art, photography, theater, programming, game design, media, advertising, film, animation, sound art, and visual effects.
Contact us
HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL Moscow, Malaya Pionerskaya st., 12 creativeopen@hsedesign.ru