"Cultural Code in the Language of Design": International student exhibition opens at the Cable Factory

HSE University in St. Petersburg continues its tradition of international student exhibitions. Following the success of its first joint initiative with the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (Indonesia) at the 2025 International Partner Week (IPW), which gathered over 100 participants, this year’s event takes things further. Finalists of the Cinema as a Cultural Brand competition from Russia, France, China, India, and Brazil presented their visual and communication design projects.

The student competition is co-hosted by the HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL in St. Petersburg and École Intuit Lab, one of France’s leading private design universities with campuses in India, China, Brazil, and the UAE. The partnership between the two institutions was established in 2025 when Clément Derock, co-founder of the French school, first attended the International Partner Week. The joint inter-university project, Culture Mirror, was also joined by the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. Over 120 students from five countries (Russia, China, India, France, and Brazil) took part in the competition, with the finalists’ best works now on display for IPW 2026.

"Today, the world can communicate without barriers through the language of design," emphasized Anna Tyshetskaya, First Vice Rector of HSE University. "That is why the young people participating in this competition were able to understand how their peers on the other side of the globe think and feel. This approach significantly boosts creative potential and expands professional networks."

Participants were tasked with selecting a film from a partner country, studying its plot, context, and artistic language, reimagining it through the lens of their own culture, and developing comprehensive branding campaigns to promote the film in their domestic market. The organizers offered a wide range of genres, from Brazilian realism and Chinese martial arts to French comedies, Indian dramas, and modern Russian cinema (such as Brother, Night Watch, and Piter FM).

"Over the past three years, I have visited numerous universities worldwide—from Latin America to Southeast Asia — and each time, I’ve seen firsthand that the professional design community speaks a universal language of visual culture," noted Mitya Kharshak, Dean of the HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL in St. Petersburg. "This makes international projects and exhibitions a vital part of the educational process, creating opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange. I am thrilled that this exhibition marks the first major step in advancing our partnership with École Intuit Lab. Looking ahead, this will open up new international mobility opportunities for our students, from Paris to São Paulo."

The competition jury consisted of faculty members from partner universities as well as internationally recognized design experts. They selected 25 finalists whose projects formed the exhibition at the Cable Factory. The top 15 projects will become part of a traveling exhibition scheduled to visit all participating universities.

"Creativity has no borders. For us, the transnational nature of visual language and the freedom of self-expression are essential," said Clément Derock, co-founder and head of École Intuit Lab. "A year ago, I was impressed by the projects of HSE students, their unconventional perspectives, and creative thinking. The works presented today maintain that incredibly high standard. Importantly, these young people didn’t merely interpret a foreign film; they built a completely new brand to promote it in their home countries."

Ksenia Kozyrina, a third-year student of the International Bachelor’s in Business and Economics program, highlighted the contributions of the French students: "The visual identity created for the Chinese film Farewell My Concubine really resonated with me — I am also passionate about fashion and beauty and follow industry trends. All the works are unconventional, featuring striking color combinations. It’s fantastic that HSE St. Petersburg hosts such exhibitions; they allow us to exchange our countries’ cultural codes and connect with other students and professors."

Anastasia Mezhnina, a second-year student of the Asian and African Studies program, praised the high quality of the branding projects: "I really enjoyed the exhibition — there are so many different styles and approaches. As an Asian studies major, I was particularly drawn to a Chinese student’s work: they offered a fascinating reimagining of the French film The Artist using Chinese characters, while the scroll motif and red color palette added a unique local flavor. I was also captivated by an HSE student’s project that incorporated painting and graphic elements alongside the core design. It’s great that competitions like this allow us to look at global cultures from new perspectives."

IPW guest Professor Abdullah Alamri, Head of the Arabic Linguistics Institute at King Saud University, mentioned his interest in getting a closer look at Russian culture and the mindset of St. Petersburg students: "The exhibition at HSE St. Petersburg demonstrates a continuity of artistic style. Given the rich history of St. Petersburg and the talent of its students, I believe that such intercultural projects enrich us all and inspire new collaborations."