No, this time it's not a metaphor: we are actually really sitting on packed suitcases, more than ready to catch our flight. In just a few days, on the 3rd of November, we'll be putting on our walking shoes and hope to be joined by you on our marathon through the numerous PICTOPLASMA NYC exhibitions.
Head on over here where the Nokia map will allow you sketch the route of your choice along the 17 stops of the Character Walk in New York, while all of the individual stops also offer free, printed maps to help you navigate throughout the city.
On Friday the 4th we await you at the Tishman Auditorium for a wonderfully dense line up of supreme artist presentation until late Saturday evening. All info and the schedule can be viewed here. For those still capable of more visual input on Sunday, the 6th, the epicenter of the Character Walk will have shifted from Manhattan to Brooklyn, where the accompanying exhibitions are open to top you off with a final over-dose of character stimulus.
Beware: we only have a hand full of online conference passes left for those willing to act fast! Otherwise, only upon availability, you might get admission directly at the Tishman Auditorium.

After New York there's not much time left for us to prepare for France, as we give the last finishing touches to our first ever PICTOPLASMA PARIS FESTIVAL at the glorious La Gaîté lyrique, from December 7 - 31.
Not only will we be arriving with a two-day conference, numerous screenings, a series of performances and the full-on Character Walk treatment, we'll also drop a vast, central group show upon the city, presenting international contemporary artists that have replaced the comfort of the digital in favour of various slow media: ranging from a simple pencil all the way to wood, metal, stone or knitted wool, a series of drawings, sculptures and installations explore the idea of a haptic transfiguration of digitally inspired images. This is your chance to escape the inevitable numbness of pre-christmas Paris and expose yourself to some truly monstrous originals by the likes of FriendsWithYou, Allison Schulnik, Nick Cave, Sarah Illenberger, Jordan Metcalf, Ouverture, Motomichi Nakamura, Nick Sheehy and Nina Braun.
This is also where we will present the outcome of our Missing Link Research project, with which we have accidentally unleashed a true avalanche of hairy creatures: More than 5000+ entries from all round the globe have cluttered our inbox, with sightings occurring in Finland, the Iran, South Africa, Chile, Korea, Russia, North Carolina, New Zealand, and everywhere in between... Our initial plan was to condense all of the imaginary portraits to their platonic ideal, hoping to get a better understanding of one of our time's last secret characters. Will we succeed? You'll have to find out for yourself...

Another one that requires your active participation is the next, big, Uber-Festival of contemporary character culture in Berlin! This is the annual event you are not allowed to miss: In April 2012 we finally return to our own home turf, and with us an all new, dense, full week programme of awe inducing artist presentations, back-to-back conference lectures, fresh animation festival screenings, hands-on workshops, installations, endless exhibitions, performances, VJ battles and of course, a multitude of character!

It's official:

PICTOPLASMA BERLIN 2012
11 - 15 April
.HBC, BABYLON MITTE AND 20+ GALLERY SPACES IN BERLIN

We still have so much more up our sleeves, but first confirmed speakers include the Dutch creator of larger than life rubber ducks Florentijn Hofman, UK/USA based animation talent Julia Pott, German illustration legend Henning Wagenbreth, Argentinean animation and design megastudio Punga and Westphalian 3D character contortionist Mark Gmehling.

And starting NOW a super limited early bird offer is available, so act fast!

But wait, here are two deadlines (actually one) that you should definitely try to remember:

In cooperation with our friends at DISK/CTM we have renewed our PICTOPLASMA RESIDENCY programme and have reserved one of the most beautiful Berlin Character Walk stations for you. If you want to jump at the opportunity to present your character driven work to a wide, international and interested audience, please send us your wildest, most daring, stylistically sure-footed character exhibition proposals - not limited to any media or style, ranging from video work, photography, performance, installation, painting, print, drawings or sculpture. The awarded artist receives up to 10 days of accommodation in Berlin, a grant of 500,- Euros to help realise the submitted proposal, all our support to set up the exhibition at the "General Public", as well as free entry to all of the Pictoplasma Berlin Festival and Conference events.
The deadline for your proposals to reach us is the 1st of February 2012, all information and requirements here.

Another open call for entries: we are once more on the hunt for outstanding, character-driven animation entries, to be considered for the official Pictoplasma ANIMATION FESTIVAL 2012 screening programs.
If you happen to be responsible for high-grade Characters in motion, animation, narration, music visuals or experimental work, please don't hesitate to share them with us.
Again, the deadline is the 1st of February 2012, all details and the downloadable entry form here.


OK, time for us to catch that plane.

peter? check√
lars? check√

Off we go.

As always we truly hope to see you somewhere along the route!