HSE Art and Design School x Moscow City Tourism Committee: Global Talents in the Russian capital

Two major projects have been launched a result of collaboration between the HSE Art and Design School and the Moscow City Tourism Committee: The International Photo Exhibition for the BRICS Countries “Big Cities in Moscow” and The International Competition of Short Videos about Cities WOWMOSCOW, won by Takha Audyarahma from Indonesia. Her video will premiere on August 24 as part of the Moscow International Film Week program.

Participants in both projects came together in an art residency, where a parallel program focused on various ways of modern city representations in different visual genres.

On August 8, the “Big Cities in Moscow” photo exhibition was officially launched in the Underground Museum of the Zaryadye Park.

Speeches were given by Evgeny Kozlov, Arseniy Meshcheryakov, Irina Chmyreva and representatives of the invited institutions: Niyatee Shinde from India and Liu Xiaoxia from China. After that, Irina Chmyreva conducted a tour of the exhibition for the speakers and participating photographers.

Evgeny Kozlov — First Deputy Head of the Moscow Mayor’s Office and the Moscow Government, Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee

Arseniy Meshcheryakov — Head of the HSE Art and Design School, designer, art director, founder of the Agey Tomesh Design Bureau and the WAM Books Publishing House

Irina Chmyreva — Art Director of the International Festival of Photography PhotoVisa, PhD in Art History, curator, photography historian, member of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA), Russia.

On August 9, a closed panel discussion entitled “Contemporary Urban Photography” // “Urban Photography: Art, Documentary or Something Else?” was held.

The discussion included exhibition participants and other representatives of the professional community: Irina Chmyreva (moderator), Niyatee Shinde, Liu Xiaoxia, Masha Goldman, Vladimir Levashov, Tom Lisboa, Natalia Korneyeva, Alexander Petrosyan and Alexey Narodnitskiy.

The participants explored the ways contemporary urban photography reflects on the life in megacities and influences the perception of urban environments. Each participant shared their experiences of using photography to initiate dialogues with city residents. Additionally, key books on urban photography that push the boundaries of the genre and resonate internationally, published in different countries, were discussed. The meeting concluded with a Q&A session, where the discussion centered not only on technical aspects, but also on being honest in portraying the life of a big city.

On August 10–11, Zaryadye visitors could participate in two master classes held by world-renowned photographers in the Small Amphitheatre. The following photographers shared their experiences: 

• Niyatee Shinde, President of the ZIIP Foundation, Mumbai, India;
• Shanth Kumar, photographer, India;
• Samyia Khandevill, photographer, India;
• Venkatesan Peevee Perumal, photographer, India;
• Gulshan Khan, photographer, South Africa;
• Maria Goldman, Director and Co-Founder of the International Festival of Photography PhotoVisa, Russia;
• Alexander Petrosyan, photographer, Russia;
• Liu Xiaoxia, Director of International Programs, Pingyao International Photography Festival, China;
• Liu Yang, photographer, China;
• Ren Guanglin, photographer, China;
• Li Fan, photographer, China;
• Leticia Lampert, photographer, Brazil;
• Tom Lisboa, photographer, Brazil.

Both master classes were moderated by Irina Chmyreva, Art Director of the International Festival of Photography PhotoVisa, PhD in Art History, curator, photography historian, member of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA).

On August 10, the finalists of the International Competition of Short Videos about Cities WOWMOSCOW arrived in the Russian capital. They represented China, Brazil, Iran, Indonesia, India and Russia.

• Li Jiaxin Li, China — Quietly hiding on the banks of Lijiang River
• Takha Audyarahma, Indonesia — distant memory of a city
• Feofan Uspensky (co-authors: Uliana Shchukina, Vladislav Protsenkov), Russia — City's Breath
• Laura Grazziotin, Brazil — The city that hurts
• José Ricardo Gonçalves Val, Brazil — Curitiba: Urban Maze
• Hadi Sheibani, Iran — Mashhad: A City of Unwavering Cultural Flourishment
• Umang Tyagi, India — Haridwar, "Gateway to gods" | Cinematic video
• Yiping Zhao (co-authors: Haoyang Liu, Wenxin Zhu, Peijie Wu), China — The Stone Statue of the Tang Imperial Mausoleum Series-1
• Pritam Patowary, India — Rongali (ৰঙালী) — Colors of Nature
• Nikolay Kukin (co-author: Evgeny Makarov), Russia — A City on Water

In Moscow, a rich cultural and education program was prepared for them. They visited iconic city landmarks, including the Zaryadye Park, VDNKh, metro stations, HSE Art and Design School campus on Malaya Pionerskaya and other significant locations, where they participated in immersive tours to feel the atmosphere of the capital city. Besides that, they were busy preparing to pitch their projects.

The pitching took place on August 14, and it was won by a representative from Indonesia – Takha Audyarahma.

Her victory was announced on August 15 during a ceremonial event at the VDNKh Cinema Museum. Takha, together with a professional film crew, is now working on her short video about Moscow. It will be screened on August 24 at the Small Amphitheatre of the Zaryadye Park, as part of the Moscow International Film Week program.

Territory of the Future. Moscow 2030 is a forum and festival showcasing major innovations across all areas of city life to Moscow residents and visitors. From August 1 to September 8, more than 30 venues are hosting cultural, sports, educational and other events dedicated to the development of one of the world’s most modern megacities. Visitors to the forum and festival, besides exploring Moscow’s latest achievements, can witness first-hand the implementation of its development strategies and see what the city will look like in 2030.