Opening: November 21, 2024, at 9 p.m., SKC Gallery

This year’s 11th edition of the International Student Film Festival (STIFF) explores the theme of escape, which is also the foundation for the exhibition segment of the side program at the SKC Gallery, named Exit Thread. The exhibition features works by nine artists who, through various media, especially digital, delve into the theme of escape by examining questions of identity and personal freedom.
In the broadest sense, the set of characteristics that define an individual or a group is considered their identity. To what extent does an individual’s personal identity shift in an environment that imposes values different from their own? From the pressure of burnout to the loss of “self,” the artists, through their works, seek a thread of liberation from societal categorization, alienation, and the pervasive influence of digital content.
While some find their own exit thread in the form of self-discovery, asking questions like “Where do I belong in this world?” and “How much of our decision-making is truly our own?”, others turn to (quiet) rebellion, critiquing political and economic conditions, social norms, personal realities, and the enslaving power of the media. By encouraging visitors to reflect on their own realities and identities, the exhibition raises the question: can each of us find our own exit thread?
Artists: Aleksandr Sukharev (RU), Alexa Wright (UK), Christian Nicolay (CA), Clemence B.T.D. Barret, Jiang Feng (TW), Lianjiang Zhu (CN), Polina Komyagina (RU), Saša Tatić (BiH), Suhan Lalettayin (TR)