GROUP SHOW
MAY 8
OPENING 6pm
MAY 9 – 12
OPEN DAILY 12 – 8 pm
SILENT GREEN
CONCRETE HALL
Gerichtstr. 35
13347 Berlin
FREE ENTRY
Under the heading INTER__FACES the festival focuses on the power of abstract characters to trigger what we perceive as interaction—shifting the conversation away from the hype of AI and seamless immersion towards an investigation of what actually happens in the charged space between the viewer and the viewed. The group exhibition at Silent Green confronts visitors with a multitude of virtual and abstract faces in multimedia installations––among them new and specially commissioned works. Although the characters initially engage viewers, their attitude remains alien, seemingly aloof and disinterested. What is it about them that provokes our empathy? Why do we expect our feelings to be reciprocated? And how do we cope when our expectations are not met?
Featuring work by:
Laurie Rowan (UK)
Eran Hilleli (ISR)
Jeron Braxton (USA)
Julian Glander (USA)
David Luepschen (UK)
Elenor Kopka (DE)
Peter Millard (UK)
Lucas Zanotto (IT)
Nikita Diakur (DE)
AND MANY MORE…
CHARACTER WALK
EXHIBITIONS
2019
MAY 8 – 12 / 12 – 8 pm
7 ART VENUES &
PROJECT SPACES
IN BERLIN
FREE ENTRY
The Character Walk leads through seven project spaces in Berlin’s Mitte district, showing the work of ten artists in the fields of illustration, animation, digital design, and comics to a Berlin audience for the first time.
The walk starts at St.-Marien- und St.-Nikolai-Friedhof, a graveyard on Prenzlauer Allee where four exhibitions are on display in the former custodian’s house.
Featuring work by John Bond (UK), Cabeza Patata (ES/UK) , Laura Callaghan (IRE), Yukai Du (CN), Félicie Haymoz (CH), Luke Pearson (UK), Philippa Rice (UK), Laurie Rowan (UK), Parallel Teeth (NZ), Twee Muizen (ES) and the 35 Pictoplasma Academy alumni of 2018.
Maps and programs are available at all seven locations.
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Verwalterhaus
Alter St.-Marien-St.-Nikolai-Friedhof
ag friedhofsmuseum berlin e.V.
Prenzlauer Allee 1
kulturkapellen.de
Laurie Rowan (UK)
Wobble Party
Laurie Rowan is an illustrator, animator and director based in the UK. His work, which combines rich pastels, curious characters, a fascination with dance, ritual, and bodily behavior, is usually presented as playfully addictive video shorts. In this exhibition Laurie brings his cast of bulbous creatures off the screen and into the real world, playing with a range of materials and media.
laurierowan.com
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Verwalterhaus
Alter St.-Marien-St.-Nikolai-Friedhof
ag friedhofsmuseum berlin e.V.
Prenzlauer Allee 1
kulturkapellen.de
Philippa Rice (UK)
Soft Spot
Philippa Rice has a range of creative outlets from comics and animation to clay models and collage. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Soppy, an autobiographical comic book about her life with fellow artist Luke Pearson. The exhibition features original artworks from her books, plus you can meet some of the crochet characters from the Soft Spot animated videos made by Philippa and Luke.
philippajrice.com
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Verwalterhaus
Alter St.-Marien-St.-Nikolai-Friedhof
ag friedhofsmuseum berlin e.V.
Prenzlauer Allee 1
kulturkapellen.de
Luke Pearson (UK)
Hilda
Luke Pearson is a comic artist and illustrator from the UK, known for the ‘Hilda’ series of comics and the animated series of the same name. The exhibition will feature original drawings for the comics as well as a selection of sketches and artifacts from the history of the series.
lukepearson.com
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Verwalterhaus
Alter St.-Marien-St.-Nikolai-Friedhof
ag friedhofsmuseum berlin e.V.
Prenzlauer Allee 1
kulturkapellen.de
Yukai Du (CN)
Anthology
Yukai Du is a UK-based illustrator and animation director from China. Yukai’s work is informed stylistically by Impressionism’s handling of light combined with Brutalism’s geometric forms. Her Anthology series is a collection of animated images and illustrations that represent a journey of self-exploration. Each piece combines real-life observations with snippets of poetry and daydreams.
yukaidu.com
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VOLUME
Brunnenstraße 22
volumeberlin.de
Parallel Teeth (NZ)
Relax
Parallel Teeth is the artistic moniker of animation director and illustrator Robert Wallace. Robertʼs interest in the occult and hazy memories of Sunday morning cartoons bleed into his work, which playfully fuses fantasy with more mundane aspects of everyday life. This installation invites the audience to slow down, relax, and spend some time with a witch as she muses about her existence.
parallelteeth.com
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Rainbow Unicorn
Anklamer Straße 50
rainbow-unicorn.com
Laura Callaghan (IRE)
Panophobia
Laura Callaghan is an Irish illustrator whose work is largely hand-painted using watercolor, gouache, and isograph pen. Taking its title from a highly disputed phobia which translates as “a vague and persistent dread of some unknown evil,” the work on show reflects a society caught in the chokehold of fear, where panic about an increasingly unstable world rules our lives and fills our screens, both paralyzing us and motivating us to change.
lauracallaghanillustration.com
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Fata Morgana
Torstr. 170
fatamorganagalerie.com
John Bond (UK)
Dog Daze
Peanut butter. Bananas. Pebbles. Cotton wool. Sausages. Anything. Everything. What do these things have in common? Dogs, they all look like dogs. John Bond is an illustrator, author and artist from the UK. Dog Daze is a collection of playful prints and original artworks conceived from his dog-addled vision of day-to-day life.
iamjohnbond.com
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WHITECONCEPTS
Auguststr. 35
whiteconcepts.de
Félicie Haymoz (CH)
Designing of Isle of Dogs
Born in Switzerland, Félicie Haymoz lives in Brooklyn, her favorite place to stare at people on the subway. She spent a whole year designing the human characters for ‘Isle of Dogs,’ a year of daily email exchanges with Wes Anderson in Paris. In this exhibition, she presents the references and design process behind some of her favorite characters from the movie—plus, two original puppets said they might pop by!
feliciehaymoz.com
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Instituto Cervantes
Rosenstraße 18
berlin.cervantes.es
Cabeza Patata (ES/UK)
Dancing Through Media
Cabeza Patata is the artistic duo of English craftswoman and illustrator Katie Menzies, and Spanish 3D artist and animator Abel Reverter. They create joyful and diverse characters that display a strong attitude and posture. Dancing through Media explores different art forms to deal with the leitmotif of the show, music and movement, bringing characters to life in murals, 3D-printed sculptures, prints, and augmented reality.
cabezapatata.com
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Instituto Cervantes
Rosenstraße 18
berlin.cervantes.es
Twee Muizen (ES)
Folklore
Twee Muizen is the artistic duo of Denís Galocha and Cristina Barrientos. Both were born and raised in rural Galicia, surrounded by the mountains and wildlife that now populates their work. They are interested in exploring the relationship between humans and nature, often using traditional Galician imagery. In this show they will present characters with their signature surrealist aesthetics across a range of media, from painting and masks to art toys and prints.
instagram.com/tweemuizen
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Neurotitan
Rosenthaler Straße 39, 2nd backyard
neurotitan.de
Academy All Stars
The Pictoplasma Academy 2018 Alumni
In its 7th edition, the annual Pictoplasma masterclass in character design brought together 35 postgraduates from 18 countries, challenging them to develop their own projects under the devoted guidance of renowned illustrators, artists, and filmmakers. The Academy All Stars group show presents their diverse talents and features sculptures, paintings, interactive installations, and a multitude of brave new character worlds. The next masterclass is scheduled for September—the deadline to apply is July 17.
academy.pictoplasma.com
Animation
Screenings
MAY 9 – 12
BABYLON
Rosa-Luxemburgstr. 30
10178 Berlin – Mitte
The Festival’s film section brings animated newborns to the big screen, whisking the audience around the world in freshly curated programs brimming with psychedelic eye-candy and storytelling genius.
Full program here >
PERFORMANCES &
PARTIES
A series of performances, club nights and parties ensures we all truly ‘Get Into Character’
08 May, 20:00
Kuppelsaal, Silent Green
Gerichtstr. 35, Berlin-Wedding
Fred und Luna
After the opening of the exhibition in Silent Green’s underground concrete hall, the festival kicks off in the ceremonial cupola with an electrokraut performance by Fred und Luna—the two mannequins and muses of musician, poet, photographer, and film-maker Rainer Buchmüller. He will be joined by UFO Hawaii aka Künstler Treu.
FREE ENTRY
09 May, 21:00
ACUD
Veteranenstr. 21, 10119 Berlin
Pictoplasma After-hour
Characters take over every level and corner of the multi-layered Kunsthaus ACUD. The KINO invites you to revisit the juiciest cuts from last year’s animation selection. The THEATER catapults you to another dimension, where nothing is safe, and everything can be destroyed, in Sos Sosowski’s hilarious VR Mosh Pit Simulator. The STUDIO witnesses the revival of legendary Pingpongcountry—a communal round-the-table game to the uplifting sounds of unheard country music, brought to you by the Golden Country Guys! And the CLUB kicks off with Sos Sosowski as a DJ, followed by a performance by Mr. Manic, and culminating in an open stage inviting you to grab the mic for a special Character Karaoke hosted by Monster Ronson’s KJ Fenek. Food is served in the central courtyard.
11 May, 22:00
Yaam
An der Schillingbrücke 3, 10243 Berlin
POST-PICTOPLASMA PARTY
Shake off the inevitable visual overload at the momentous closing party on two floors. DJ UTA (Rec Room) blasts open the Mittelfloor, followed by an all-night set from Charlotte Bendiks (Cómeme). Meanwhile, on the Beachbox stage, Jeron Braxton plays his mix of abstract emo-beats, followed by a live concert by Catnapp (Monkeytown). Still not enough? No worries, Juba will play her afroelectonik to the break of dawn…
12 May, 19:00
Kuppelsaal, Silent Green
Gerichtstr. 35, Berlin-Wedding
Aïsha Devi
PERFORMANCE
Her music is spiritual and her live shows are transcendent experiences. The Swiss artist of Nepalese-Tibetan heritage combines thumping beats and rave stabs, seraphic and guttural throat singing, mystical linguistics and corporeal sonics. For this rare performance of hers, Aïsha Devi is accompanied by French photographer Emile Barret. His visuals integrate video footage into virtual environments full of alchemical symbols: a real-time simulation in Unity.
10.- Euro
Online tickets HERE
SYMPOSIUM
SUNDAY
MAY 12 / 12 – 8 pm
In its final hours, the festival culminates with an open day in Silent Green, featuring talks, panels, performances, and a workshop for kids.
Your Hands Are Feet, by Amelia Winger-Bearskin and Sarah Rothberg
VR production, studioamelia.com 2017
12 May, 14:00–18:00
Kuppelhalle
Symposium
Can character design trigger interaction? Or enhance our empathy? And is ‘immersion’ anything more than just another buzzword? Don’t expect answers, but more questions, with lectures by Timo Kaerlein (Media of Cooperation, University of Siegen), Simone Kirst (Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt University), Vanessa Oberin (SENSING: The Knowledge of Sensitive Media, Brandenburg Center for Media Studies), and Nina Döllinger (Human-Computer-Media Institute, Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg). Artists from the exhibition will present their work in short conversations.
12 May, 13:00–18:00
Atelierhaus
KIDS’ WORKSHOP
Deborah Rodrigues aka Tartaruga Feliz, founder of Glück Workshops, invites children aged 6–12 to create simple robotic figures using different materials and motors. The workshop begins on the hour, every hour, and admits groups of up to fifteen children. Prior registration is not possible.
12 May, 19:00
Kuppelhalle
Aïsha Devi
PERFORMANCE
Her music is spiritual and her live shows are transcendent experiences. The Swiss artist of Nepalese-Tibetan heritage combines thumping beats and rave stabs, seraphic and guttural throat singing, mystical linguistics and corporeal sonics. For this rare performance of hers, Aïsha Devi is accompanied by French photographer Emile Barret. His visuals integrate video footage into virtual environments full of alchemical symbols: a real-time simulation in Unity.
10.- Euro
Online tickets HERE
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