Berlin’s Pictoplasma Comes to New York for Nov. 17 Event

Festival presents global lineup of acclaimed speakers at the Parsons School of Design.

The Berlin-based Pictoplasma Festival comes to New York for an event Nov. 17 at the Parsons School of Design.

NEW YORK -- Berlin’s annual Pictoplasma Festival returns to New York City to present a program of artist talks, discussions and a best of Characters in Motion animation screening.

Taking place Nov. 17 at The Auditorium of the Parsons School of Design at The New School, the event is presented in partnership with The School of Art, Media and Technology and the BFA Illustration program at Parsons School of Design.

Confirmed speakers include:

Sean Charmatz, former writer/director for SpongeBob SquarePants and now head of story for The LEGO Movie sequel, creating some of the Internet's most viral content by playfully combining his knack for storytelling with found objects observed in everyday life.
Edel Rodriguez, an American artist and illustrator of Cuban origin, who has created over a hundred newspaper and magazine covers, examining identity, mortality, and cultural displacement with a bold, figurative style. His current output is among the most controversial comments on President Trump.
Amandine Urruty, Paris-based artist who has created an astonishing repertoire of beasts and weird characters in all kinds of media, recently featured on the cover of Hi Fructose Magazine and widely exhibited around the globe, including New York’s Jonathan Levine gallery.
Emily Meinhardt and Alice Moloney, design producer and art director at Google working closely with international artists to make communication more personal, such as through the Emoji stickers in the Allo messaging app.
Mauro Gatti, an Italy-born Los Angeles based artist, animator, game designer and children's book illustrator, working for clients such as Google, Vodafone, WeTransfer or Barilla and famed for his humorous, colorful work, inspired by the illustrations of the 1960s and 1970s.
Cécile Dormeau, a Paris-based illustrator, using simple bold lines and bright colors to explore body images and everyday issues faced by women. Clients include Google, GQ and The Sunday Times.
James Curran, British animator and director currently living in New York, with a background in videos games, music videos, and commercials. As well as regularly working for clients including Disney, Nike and Samsung he has also become known for his 'Gifathon' projects -- 30 GIFs created in 30 days, based on his personal experiences while living in a new city.
Scott Benson, Pittsburgh-based animator, game developer, illustrator, and co-founder of the international indie animation collective Late Night Work Club. His game Night in the Woods was recently released -- a highly praised adventure focused on exploration, story, and character.