We’re so excited for this year’s Festival of Contemporary Character Design and Art!
EXHIBITION
SILENT GREEN
Silent Green is not only hosting the 19th Pictoplasma Conference, where international creators and producers discuss strategies for the future of figurative design, it also holds more character surprises for everyone to discover. On the two exterior gates on Adolfstraße, Daan Botlek (NL) and Catarina Glam (PT) leave their permanent marks with stunning murals – the first with his signature pictogram characters, the other with geometrically fragmented and reconfigured animal characters.
Further down, One Bum Cinema (UK) presents a special selection of character animation of any length up to 2 minutes – it’s one visitor at a time, and no screening is like the other.
On the ramp down to Betonhalle, Cabeza Patata (ES/UK) have taken over the smokers’ lounge and feature Mekanika, a miniature band mixing complex robotics with detailed craft and puppetry on a stage that features a full music set, lights display and smoke machine; fully interactive so the audience can be the puppet-masters.
TRANSMEDIALE STUDIO
The transmediale studio inside silent green hosts this year’s showcase of media works. Niels van der Donk and Victoria Young are Yonk Studio (NL) and create characters sculpted digitally in VR – their installation is a take on character selection screens from games – reimagined in their peculiar style, which seamlessly combines raw, childlike shapes with polished, vibrant veneers.
The work of digital designer Johana Kroft (US/CZ) is a reflection on emotional states expressed in abstract-figurative combinations of shapes and colours. Chris Hoffmann (NL) has a workflow that integrates 3D and Artificial Intelligence: he trains models to breed his characters and takes them further into a design process.
Filmmaker Will Anderson (UK) brings along animated investigations of his Greg character – what seems to be a corporeal cat at first glance reveals itself to be a 3D model struggling with its existence.
Part of the exhibition at transmediale studio is a Games Lab curated in collaboration with A MAZE. – Berlin’s International Games and Playful Media Festival. It features four games as playable versions and highlights the genesis, inspiration and concept of their character design. Germán Reina Carmona (ES) was the principal character designer on OlliOlli World (2022). The series of skateboarding games started as a pixel game – the latest addition is not only a slender update to 3D, it also extends the urban culture of skateboarding to an adventure game featuring imaginary creatures in fantastic landscapes.
Tux and Fanny (2021) by Albert Birney and Gabriel Koenig (US) is considered a surreal, dark experience à la David Lynch – while following the two main characters from pixel to claymation and on to 3D, nothing you know is safe. Gang Beast (2014) by Boneloaf Ltd. (UK) is a classic multiplayer game: the surly, gelatinous characters fight each other, with the remaining character winning the round. It’s not only great fun – the flabbiness of the characters makes it a constant challenge and out of body experience.
And Ricky Haggett / Hollow Ponds (UK) brings along a playable demo of Flock, featuring a human character sitting on a birdlike creature flying through marvellous landscapes and luring other creatures in to fly along. The game will only be released at the end of 2023. The Games Lab will also be part of the next edition of A MAZE., immediately following Pictoplasma at silent green on May 10–13.
After the success of its premiere in 2022, the Open House Character Market returns and offers the unique chance to stock up on rare prints, affordable art editions, zines, sculptures and other lovingly produced items from all around the world – and meet their international makers.
Take a break and pass the controller: a playable demo of the soon to be released game Flock will be projected up high into the ceiling of the Kuppelhalle – in full 360°. Lie down, look up, get into player mode, and fly around with imaginary creatures through beautiful landscapes.
Visitors of all ages can join forces with French artist Shoboshobo to create DIY stickers and colourful masks in the upper Atelierhaus…
… and the Betonhalle’s big screen features all 66 animated shorts from this year’s official selection – definitely not your standard mainstream family entertainment. For those with a short attention span or limited time, the day is crowned with a special ‘Best of Pictoplasma 2023’ short film programme, bringing you up to date with the latest characters in motion.
SCREENINGS
A fresh selection of sixty-six cutting-edge animated shorts and premieres illuminate the big screen in four thematic screening programmes full of psychedelic eye candy, virtual popcorn and ingenious storytelling.
Go have a look at the schedule on their website!
