Pictoplasma Berlin

What is Character Design?

Character design is the discipline of inventing characters: mascots, comic heroes, animated beings, video game characters, brand figures. Twenty years ago, Pictoplasma gave this often overlooked field its own stage and has since become the world's most important platform for it. Talks, film programs, symposia, and exhibitions alternate, with audiences comprising both professionals and enthusiasts.

Silent Green in Wedding

For years, the venue has been Silent Green Kulturquartier — a former crematorium in Berlin-Wedding (Mitte district), now one of the city's most exciting cultural centers. The underground concrete hall, the domed buildings, and the surrounding spaces offer an unusual, almost cinematic backdrop for the conference talks and exhibitions. Located directly at S+U Wedding station, a five-minute walk from the train station.

Program and Audience

The conference itself runs from Thursday to Saturday with over 20 international speakers — illustrators like Christoph Niemann (regularly on the cover of "The New Yorker"), animation filmmakers, designers from major studios. Parallel to this are curated film programs (Pictoplasma Animation Festival), workshops, portfolio reviews, and networking formats. Sunday is Visitors' Day: character market, workshops, film program — and free admission for everyone. Anyone who loves animated films, independent comics, or illustration will find something here — and can get to know the entire universe on Sunday without a festival pass.