Big shout-out to Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg for the ongoing support, tender loving character care, and making #PictoplasmaPossible 💡

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More from Magnus at the 22nd #PictoBerlin Conference (including a learning session in Houdini)
Presented by SideFX Software

Magnus Møller on navigating the cute - absurd spectrum:
“Characters are relatable when they have a want, a flaw, an attitude you can read instantly. I love characters who are floppy, fun, a little bit dumb in the most endearing way. I love crazy designs, but the mood and expression must be clear.”

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Connect with Karlotta at the 22nd #PictoBerlin Conference – she might end up drawing a portrait of you ? ✍️

Karlotta Freier on routine:
“I keep Sunday's free – and wake up giddy to experiment. I walk around all day without a map, only stoping to make a drawing every hour at the place I happen to be. My routine sets me up to start the week playful and connected to my intuition.”

If you've got a story to tell, cut, copy, paste, and publish a zine to add to the growing community library. And keep an eye out for special zine collab-sessions with speakers Gemma Correll and Jack Sachs!

Sign up now → ⬤⬤link in bio

Analog, baby – at #PictoBerlin‘s Zine Zone!
Take a break from the conference hall to experiment with classic technologies like old-school copy machines, typewriters, overhead projectors, and a funky risograph machine (courtesy of @DRUCKEN3000 and @adobe_de).

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This May join Jun at the 22nd #PictoBerlin Conference 🫦
Additionally to braving the artist stage, he’s courageously agreed to DJ at the Post-Picto Party!

Jun Ioneda on facing his fears:
“Growing up I always felt uneasy when cartoon characters had lips. Because of that, all my characters now have lips. In this way, they all scare me a bit…”

Applaud Augustinas at this May’s #PictoBerlin Conference: celebrating the art and impact of adventurous character-driven creativity (and thank you for the ⬤⬤)

Augustinas Paukštė, Partner and Creative Director of Lithuania based andstudio, turns strategy into expressive visual worlds – building identities that are not only seen, but also tested, challenged, and measured in real contexts.

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Meet Marylou this May 7-10 at the 22nd #PictoBerlin Conference ⚡️

Marylou Faure on the female form:
"The body is my main source of inspiration – more specifically, body language. My female characters embody confidence, carefreeness and desire – qualities I find inspiring, and which I hope resonate, offering a sense of lightness and empowerment."

Frode Bolhuis on knowing when to stop:
"I intuitively know a sculpture is finished when it conveys a certain clarity, even if the story it carries is difficult to put into words. Clarity lives in its form, without needing to be smooth or perfect. When it happens, it’s unmistakably clear to me."

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Gemma’s first graphic novel, Anxietyland, will be published exactly when she has an appointment to take the #PictoBerlin Conference stage — and be joined by all attendees for a zine making workshop. Coincidence?

Gemma Correll on placing herself upfront and center of her work:
“Since childhood, I have drawn characters who represent parts of me I wasn’t brave enough to convey in real life ... abandoning that character would feel like abandoning myself!”

Christoph Niemann on taking creative risks:
“Drawing can be intimidating – so I tend to gravitate towards what feels safe. The Sunday Sketches are my way of pushing against that. They force me to take risks and keep evolving, especially at a time when everything changes so quickly.”

Conor Kehelly on storytelling in animation:
“Animation is forgiving if you struggle to speak in your own voice. You can hide behind a character that talks like you, sounds like you, acts like you, but looks nothing like you. For all intents and purposes, that character isn’t you...”

Amedeo Capelli at #PictoBerlin2026:
“Building an automaton has no fixed process. Sometimes I start with a sketch, sometimes I start with the mechanism to understand how it behaves.”

Besides his talk, Amedeo hosts a hands-on workshop – allowing all to craft their own sculptures!

Can Characters emerge as an active narrative force – beyond illustration – and generate meaning that shapes how stories are constructed and experienced? Heike Faller and Valerio Vidali join this year’s symposium to discuss their collaborative authorship between word and image.

Character ‘R Us?
Philippe Stalla, Partner and Head of Animation at Parasol Island, joins this May's symposium to discuss how mascots in current add campaigns promise clarity and recognition, but also risk frightening off today’s clients by fixing their brand to a specific figure.

From concentrated portfolio review sessions to private meet-ups, PictoBerlin expands its Industry Forum to set the stage for cross-disciplinary pollination between attending talent, creatives and the leading studios, agencies and commissioners shaping tomorrow’s visual culture!

The official PictoBerlin 2026 animation selection has been announced – and it's retina stimulus overdose:
85+ international shorts on 3 big screens in 6 lovingly curated programs.

BRING IT ON!
👁️👁️ pictoplasma.com/fest

Where’s Johannes Sich?
The illustrator has come to fame as author of the game series ‘MicroMacro: Crime City’, challenging players to investigate the whereabouts of minimal characters across large-scale, complex ‘busy picture’ city maps.
Find Johannes at this May’s #PictoBerlin Conference!

Announcing the 2026 official PictoAnimation Fest Selection:
From a mind-boggling 2.600+ entries we somehow managed to narrow it down to 85 hand-picked shorts, awaiting you in Berlin, May 7 - 10, on 3 big screens in 6 curated programmes - full of contemporary character splendor and storytelling.

Japanese director and animator Kaho Yoshida mixes her passion for stop motion and mixed media with juicy aesthetics and a sharp sense of humour.
Catch up with Kaho at this May’s #PictoBerlin Conference: a celebration of contemporary character-creation.

Magnus Møller, co-founder of Tumblehead Animation Studio in Viborg, is known for his love for quirky, cartoony characters in an existential crisis, and #Houdini as his tool of choice.
Meet Magnus (for a talk and media lab presentation) at this May’s #PictoBerlin Conference

Somewhere over the Doomscroll …
… where we can all coexist in harmony and create happy #StickyCharacters IRL

Kudos to strudelbrain 👋 for this wholesome bumper sticker – and reminder to be kind to yourself + keep a lid on your screen time!

As one of the masterminds behind the viral Italian Brainrot meme, artist Fabian Mosele dissects the pitfalls of generative media and how it gave birth to a new breed of characters – with no ownership and infused in slop.
Join the conversation at this May’s #PictoBerlin Conference

Applications are NOW OPEN to sell at the 2026 Pictoplasma Character Market!

On Sunday May 10 from 1–7pm, the doors of Pictoplasma Berlin swing open to all for a Public Open House – featuring animation screenings, creative activities, and the bustling character art market.