Takeshi Murata + Christopher Rutledge
20th PICTOPLASMA BERLIN
CONFERENCE AND FESTIVAL
OF CONTEMPORARY CHARACTER DESIGN AND ART
1 — 5 MAY 2024
Pictoplasma, the world’s leading conference of contemporary character design in illustration, animation, graphic and urban arts, celebrates its 20th anniversary.
Over the past two decades the Berlin-based project has promoted a uniquely playful and interdisciplinary investigation of new visual worlds in the digital age, served as a lively forum for a growing international community, and redefined the boundaries of contemporary character representation.
To pay tribute to our coming of age, this May 1—5, Pictoplasma awaits all international character creators and connoisseurs for a specially immersive programme of awe-inducing artist presentations and back-to-back conference lectures, freshly hatched animations illuminating the big screen, numerous hands-on workshops, endless fun, inspiration and loads of visual confetti …
ONLY LIMITED TICKETS FOR PICTOPLASMA 2024 AVAILABLE
CONFIRMED PARTICIPATING ARTISTS AND SPEAKERS
The central Pictoplasma Conference presents 18 key lectures by the world’s most influential artists and upcoming talents, cutting-edge illustrators, designers and leading animation filmmakers, offering the chance to learn from and be inspired by some of today’s most innovative and avant-garde artists.
Ana Seixas
PT
Portuguese Illustrator and ceramicist now following her passion and running her own brick-and-mortar shop in the centre of Porto to create and showcase her colourful, bold and quirky characters in one place.
BORA
FR
French interdisciplinary queer artist exploring different media to create a universe where imagination is a form of activism
Christopher Rutledge
USA
CG artist, animator and master of “Houdini” based in Los Angeles creating grotesquely detailed yet charmingly floppy characters
Clémentine Bal
FR
Artist crafting other-worldly character sculptures that materialise as multi coloured mountains or anthropomorphic volcanoes, hybrid ghosts, or semi-human creatures
Eric Schwarz
DE, FR
Eric aka @comicblues loves oversharing his thoughts on life, love and loneliness on social media
Genie Espinosa
ES
Barcelona based illustration freelance gone full-on bright coloured, birthing bold, fearless, strong, angry, unapologetic characters
Grip Face
ES
Artist at home in a wide range of media, from intimate works on paper to textured sculptures and public space interventions
Joe Bennett
USA
Los Angeles based artist, animator and co-creator of acclaimed adult science fiction drama ‘Scavengers Reign’ for HBO Max
Joe Taylor
UK
British graphic designer gone full-time animator and illustrator, building a visual world of surreal, funny, and sometimes disturbing encounters
Joseph Melhuish
UK
3D artist slash animation director famed for his glossy, acid saturated, contorted CGI character creations
Josephine Rais
DE
Illustrator creating strong, often female-led compositions for multidisciplinary projects: from illustrations, to original works and strategic design
Los Calladitos
MX
Mexican muralist duo bringing their creation to walls across the globe from Latin America and the US to Europe, currently immersed in crafting an animated series
Mila Useche
COL
Colombian artist working for the likes of Disney, Warner Brothers or Nickelodeon, recently avoiding client work to create personal projects and physical art pieces
Oskars Pavlovskis
LV
Latvian character artist combining digital and analogue illustration techniques, academic drawing, comic art, sculpture and 3D computer graphics
Parn Aniwat
THA
Bangkok born, Texas-based artist known as Wood You Mind, creating whimsical toys from chunks of timber
Peter The Roman
UK
Digital artist with a background in traditional painting, creating melted and bloated figurative forms with a luring, almost lustful physicality
So Lazo
ELSL
Illustrator from El Salvador, now living in Berlin, who is also a book author, occasional tattoo artist and full-time shy clown
Sophie Koko Gate
UK
Artist, animation director, and writer based in London
The 2024 animation section presents new short films in four programs, featuring the latest and freshest generation of characters in motion, be it narrative shorts, music visuals, experimental animation, and anything in between – with many of the filmmakers present to discuss their work in Q&A sessions.
WORKSHOP/
Thursday 2 May 14:30–20:00
Wood Whittling with Parn Aniwat
Take time with timber and experience the slow pleasure of woodcarving with Thai woodworker Parn Aniwat, better known as @wood.youmind. Armed with a utility knife and humble block of wood (and some protective gear), participants will learn the basics of subtractive sculpture and leave with a perfectly imperfect character creation (and hopefully, very few splinters).
WORKSHOP/
Friday 3 May 14:30–20:00
Needle Felted Friends with Oskars Pavlovskis
With patience and pointy needles, poke fibres into friendly forms with Latvian character artist Oskars Pavlovskis. Participants will learn the finer details of needle-felting small soft sculptures, morphing colourful wool into original 3D shapes and perfect hand-flatterers.
WORKSHOP/
Saturday 4 May 14:30–20:00
Pixel Printing with ERIC SCHWARZ
Don’t wear white on Saturday; it’s time to think with ink. Participants will seek meaning in familiar plastic building blocks and pursue the perfect pixel print with illustrator Eric Schwarz. Coax a character into 2D consciousness, then capture it on the page for an eternity. Sometimes the best things come one dot at a time.
Panel/
Thursday, 2 May 14:45–15:45
The Era of Characterism?
20 years ago Pictoplasma proclaimed: “… contemporary character design is redefining the aesthetic standards of visual communication worldwide!”
*/ Needle-scratch /*
2 decades later, it’s time for a reality check: What came of 2004’s lofty proclamation? Are today’s creative industries and genres still hungry for character connection?
NETWORKING/
Friday, 3 May 14:45–15:45
PORTFOLIO REVIEW
SPEED PITCHING
This rapid-fire networking event grants conference attendees private face-to-face time with ten industry leaders, agencies, production companies and talent scouts. You’ll have exactly 6 minutes to make a lasting impression and gather valuable feedback before the gong sounds and a new face takes your place.
Fishbowl/
Saturday, 4 May 14:45–15:45
Being the Character
Where does a character end and its creator begin? This fishbowl-style discussion welcomes special guests and the Pictoplasma community to examine the relationship between the consumption of art and the consumption of the artist. Audiences online and off have always hungered for the story behind their favourite works, but as the appetite increases and technology expands the offerings, what is the reality – good and bad – of putting yourself on the menu too?
PECHAKUCHA/
Thursday–Saturday, 2–4 May, 17:30
Attendee Presentations
Selected from prior applications, Pictoplasma attendees take the stage to introduce their work and inspirations in a lively, concise PechaKucha-style presentation: 20 slides shown for 20 seconds each, or 6 minutes and 40 seconds per presenter to surprise and inspire – ranging across the genres from animation and illustration to new media and arts.
FESTIVAL 2024
CHARACTER WALK
EXHIBITIONS
PARTIES &
PERFORMANCES
SUNDAY OPEN HOUSE
CHARACTER MARKET
SCHEDULE 2024
WEDNESDAY, MAY 1
15:00 Opening of the Festival Exhibitions and Group shows, Conference Attendee Pre-Registration
20:00 Welcome Party @ACUD
THURSDAY, MAY 2
10:00 – 20:00 Animation Screenings, Conference Talks, Workshops, Panels, Attendee Stage
20:00 Character Performance Evening
FRIDAY, MAY 3
10:00 – 20:00 Animation Screenings, Conference Talks, Workshops, Panels, Portfolio Reviews, Attendee Stage
22:00 Psychedelic Midnight Mix Screening @Colosseum
SATURDAY, MAY 4
10:00 – 20:00 Animation Screenings, Conference Talks, Workshops, Panels, Attendee Stage
22:00 Post-Picto-Party @Zenner
SUNDAY, MAY 5
12:00 – 20:00 Open Character Market, Animation Screenings, Art Happenings @silent green
BERLIN VENUE
Pictoplasma Berlin 2024 takes place at the extensive premises of a former crematorium, the silent green, a beautiful, vibrant cultural venue that has already hosted several memorable Pictoplasma events. silent green houses all activities at one lively venue, with conference talks, panels, animation screenings, workshops and exhibitions happening both inside and Open Air.
CONFERENCE VENUE
silent green
Gerichtstr. 35
13347 Berlin
FUNDED BY
SUPPORTED BY
Presented BY
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
