From Moscow to Pingyao: International Photo Lab by HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL and Nanlite

HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL held an International Photography Lab for the Photography program students and alumni, in collaboration with Nanlite — a leading brand in professional lighting — and with the support of its official distributor Sila Sveta. The program combined lectures, seminars and creative workshops exploring modern photographic approaches, advanced lighting techniques, and cross‑cultural professional dialogue.

The educational program was curated by Zhang Xulong — Chinese photographer, artist, and educator. On behalf of HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL, the programme was curated  by Professor Irina Chmyreva, Candidate of Art History.

Zhang Xulong held numerous seminars, where participants discussed various methods of working with images, the materiality of photography, and the role of analogue processes in contemporary practices. Special attention was given to alternative photographic techniques and working with instant photography. Zhang Xulong, who is an official Polaroid lecturer, showed images shot on various types of photographic materials, including rare expired cartridges, and examined the specific characteristics of the resulting prints with the students.

For independent experiments, participants were provided with film of different types and formats: narrow-format 135 and medium-format 120 film, both black‑and‑white and colour, as well as film with altered colour rendering. This allowed students to compare the characteristics of different materials and to explore how the choice of film affects the visual language of a series.

​​​​​​​The participants also had an opportunity to watch Zhang Xulong working with various analogue and digital cameras. The equipment  included a large‑format Polaroid camera, a medium‑format Phase One, a Leica SL, a Leica M, a Hasselblad 503cx, and a Horizon panoramic camera.

All of the outfits on models were created by students of the Fashion Design track at HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL as part of their academic coursework.

Styling, production, and art direction for the shoots were handled by HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL graduates Stepan Berezhnoy and Alisa Lapshina. Together, they curated over 25 looks and brought in professional makeup artists and hair stylists.

According to Zhang Xulong, what struck him most during his work with the students was their curiosity, how open they are to experimentation, and their deep interest in photography as an artistic practice.

"I was particularly impressed by the students' enthusiasm for exploring and experimenting with silver‑gelatin film," shared Zhang Xulong. "They approached it not merely as a technical process, but as a material that allows for a different understanding of the nature of the image, time, and physical experience. This lab reminded me once again that cross‑cultural exchange and collaborative creative exploration are among the most important tasks of contemporary art education."

One of the lab participants was Lyubov Medvedeva, a student of the Photography track.

"The art residency was a great opportunity to see a true professional of visual art — Zhang Xulong — at work, to get acquainted with the latest Nanlite lighting equipment, and to explore a new approach to artistic lighting. Thanks to the variety of lighting setups, models, and designer looks, I expanded my portfolio with new work. I was especially impressed by the final on‑location shoot at the Tsaritsyno Museum Reserve — I would hardly have gained access to a location like that without this project," said Lyubov Medvedeva.

The practical part of the lab concluded with an on‑location shoot at the Tsaritsyno Museum Reserve using Nanlite equipment. The best works by the participants will be presented at the International Festival of Photography in Pingyao, China, continuing the educational and professional dialogue.

HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL expresses its gratitude to Sergey Kalinkin, CEO of Sila Sveta; Liu Xiaoxia, curator, educator, translator, and author of Dialogues on Photographic Education; the HSE Institute for Creative Industries Development; its Deputy Director Natalia Logutova; and Ivan Fidrovsky, International Projects Manager at HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL, for their contribution to the organization and implementation of the international photography lab.