Pictoplasma x Balkans

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Pictoplasma x Balkans

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PICTOPLASMA x Balkans is a conference and festival for contemporary art, design, illustration and animation with a focus on creating visual stories with characters. By bringing the experience of the world’s largest platform for character design PICTOPLASMA, we are creating a space and time for artists, designers and animators from Eastern Europe to showcase their works, exchange ideas and build a

Balkan community around their love for characters. Together, we push forward an interdisciplinary discussion and a new visual vocabulary – from illustration to animation, game to interactive design, urban to graphic arts. PICTOPLASMA x Balkans is organized by StandArt, with the support of PICTOPLASMA.

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PICTOPLASMA x Balkans is implemented with the financial support of the Bulgarian National Culture Fund as part of the CREATION program.

30/04/2026

NO JOKES! We are extending the CALL FOR ENTRIES for the PICTOPLASMA x Balkans 2026 exhibition by 7 days. 👀

More time to cook.
More time to sketch.
More time to serve something weird, bold, and unforgettable. 🍳👾

👉 New deadline: 7 May 2026

This year’s finger-licking theme – Characters Cooking and Eating – dives into the playful, intimate, and unexpected relationship between characters and food. 🫜

🍽️ So serve us bold visual stories inspired by everyday rituals, and let your characters take a bite of the spotlight.

From sketch to dish — show us what you’ve got. 🧑‍🍳

💛 Design partner: ИКЕА
(Did we serve enough puns?)

———

PICTOPLASMA x Balkans 2026 is organised by .art.association with the support of

This project is implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria

28/04/2026

📣 A friendly reminder that the DEADLINE for the CALL FOR ENTRIES for this year’s PICTOPLASMA x Balkans exhibition is fast approaching.⏱️ So HOP to it! 🐸

And we may or may not have an extension. 👀

This year’s finger-licking theme – Characters Cooking and Eating – dives into the playful, intimate, and unexpected relationship between characters and food. 🫜

🍽️ So serve us bold visual stories inspired by everyday rituals, and let your characters take a bite of the spotlight.�
🗓️ DEADLINE: We’re letting you cook until the 30th April.

From sketch to dish — show us what you’ve got. 🧑‍🍳

💛 Design partner: �
(Did we serve enough puns?)

———

PICTOPLASMA x Balkans 2026 is organised by .art.association with the support of ��This project is implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria,

20/04/2026

Don't miss this!

02/04/2026

👀 We are back at it again.💥The Balkan creative crowd gathers this September in Varna.

PICTOPLASMA x Balkans returns.
18-20 September

Save the date. Screenshot it. Tell your friends.✌️
Ticket sales will open soon.

PICTOPLASMA x Balkans 2026 is organised by .art.association with the support of

This project is implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria,

28/02/2026

PICTOPLASMA x Balkans 2025 was an incredible journey, a real whirlwind of emotions. So many characters, so many stories, so many smiles. It may sound cliché, but we’re genuinely grateful to everyone who joined us. As we close this throwback, we’re already looking ahead to what’s coming this year.

Thank you to all our amazing lecturers, sponsors, friends, supporters, and everyone who helped bring this beautiful chaos to life.

🎨 PICTOPLASMA x Balkans 2025 is organised by StandArt with the support of Pictoplasma and Култура Варна / Varna Culture

25/02/2026

👀 Let’s rewind to Day 2 of PICTOPLASMA x Balkans 2025.
Those sunny days back in September felt different.
Rooms full. Not just with people, but with ideas. ⚡

A second wave of inspiring speakers.
Workshops turned into mini creative revolutions.
Conversations didn’t end when the program did. They just moved outside.
Strangers became collaborators. Friends even.

Day 2 was when the spark caught fire. 🔥
Oh, and we had a great closing party! 🪩

If you were there, you know. 🫶
If you weren’t… maybe this is your sign for this year. 👾

23/02/2026

We know, it's been a while. But nevertheless, we deliver. 👀
Taking it back to September 2025, and day 2 of PICTOPLASMA x Balkans.

Talks that sparked brains, workshops that got hands messy, and a crowd that brought the ecstatic energy from day one. 💥

From characters on paper to characters IRL... Varna came alive.
Those of you who were there know what we are talking about!

And the rest of you... we are looking forward to meeting you in person during PICTOPLASMA x Balkans 2026. ⚡️

Pictures: 📸 .nikolov.artist (on IG)

🎨 PICTOPLASMA x Balkans 2025 is organised by .art.association with the support of and

18/02/2026

Let’s rewind to PICTOPLASMA x Balkans 2025! 👀
🌊 September in Varna. Doors open. Characters everywhere.
And just like that – the room was buzzing.

New faces. Familiar faces. Inspiring speakers. Craziness peeking out of tote bags.

💡Talks that made you rethink your process.
🫶 Moments that made you text a friend, “You’d love this.” (yes, we saw!)
🥹 Instagram Stories that made us emotional.
🤝 Strangers turning into collaborators before lunch.

It felt less like a schedule and more like an emotional spark.
The kind that reminds you why you took this creative path in the first place.

And that was only the first chapter.
More to come - in video format, photos and ... the 2026 edition! 👀

🎨 PICTOPLASMA x Balkans 2025 is organised by StandArt with the support of Pictoplasma and Култура Варна / Varna Culture

04/11/2025

👀 Pictoplasma x Balkans 2025 Day 1 — done and dusted (and wow).

Talks that sparked brains, workshops that got hands messy, and a crowd that brought the energy from minute one. 💥
From characters on paper to characters IRL... Varna came alive.

And one thing is sure - we miss you already!

Stay tuned for Day 2 Album! ⚡️

27/10/2025

🚂 Characters. Creativity. Inspiration. All on track. 👀

The exhibition “Characters on the Road” took over Varna’s legendary Railway Station, turning the city’s 100-year-old landmark into a portal of imagination and movement.�
Featuring over 100 artworks from nearly 35 countries, the showcase brought together a world of characters, stories, and visuals that prove creativity knows no borders. 🌍�

We’re still buzzing from the energy, the people, the art, the vibe. Huge thanks to everyone who joined the ride, and to our partners: the Municipality of Varna and the National Railway Infrastructure Company, for helping us make this journey happen in such an iconic place.�

Hundreds passed through — chatting, snapping pics, smiling, dreaming. This is what it’s all about. 👀🎨

💛 Heartfelt thanks to Катерица - Активни пространства за игра for building the hanging structures, and our curator Petar Kostadinov, whose curatorial vision tied every piece of this journey together.

📸 Asen Nikolov

17/10/2025

Огромно БЛАГОДАРИМ на всички, които направиха фестивала PICTOPLASMA x Balkans 2025 възможен! 👀

💛 Благодарим специално на Pictoplasma , че за поредна година вярват в нас и ни се доверяват да бъдем посланици на знаковия фестивал с над 20-годишна история.
Благодарим, че ни дават възможност да правим обмена на идеи около дизайна на персонажи и изкуство по-достъпен; да обединяваме местните общности и творци със сродни възгледи, и заедно да придаваме ново значение на балканския глас. За да звучи по-силно, по-разпознаваемо и да достига до всички краища на света.

💛Благодарим на Култура Варна / Varna Culture & Община Варна, че ни подкрепя и ни дава възможност да реализираме едно различно и нишово събитие, което достига до по-широка публика, представяйки нова визуална култура и авторско съдържание на световно ниво.

💛 Благодарим на дългогодишните си партньори – На Тъмно, UniCredit Bulbank, ABC Design & Communication и Chaos Media & Entertainment, които повярваха в нас от самото начало и продължават да ни подкрепят във всяко предизвикателство.

💛 Благодарим на домакините на нашите изложби, които дариха своите пространства и ни предоставиха възможност да споделим автори от над 35 държави - Национална компания "Железопътна инфраструктура" и The Bookstore

🎨 Благодарим специално на IKEA, които ни подкрепиха в това да помислим и за най-малките (и не само)!

🤸‍♀️За детската зона на дизайн базара благодарим и на чудесните ни приятели Катерица - Активни пространства за игра.

🥪 Продължаваме с още горски животни – прекрасните Capibara Food str, които приготвяха най-вкусните сандоси!

💛 Благодарим и на Bulgaria 🍙 и Heineken 🍻, които допринесоха за вкуса на събитието.

👩‍💻Благодарим на медийните ни партньори – ВИЖ, 12 Magazine, Лицата на града , Impressio, DNES by dir.bg Actualno.com , АртАкция, Stand.bg, Jasmin.bg и kratkoinfo.com

🎬 Благодарим на World Festival of Animated Film Varna – надяваме се това да е само началото.

Искрени благодарности и към домакините на основната и съпътстваща програма – ХАЛЕ 3, Археологически музей Варна, The Bookstore, UniCredit Studio и L44.space.

Благодарим на Flumen Agency, без които онлайн присъствието ни нямаше да е същото!

Благодарим на директора на СУ „Св. Климент Охридски“ – Варна, на артистите Драган Китановски – DRASH, Aleksi Ivanov и Виктория Георгиева – MOUSE, както и на всички доброволци, участвали в създаването на страхотния графит на западната стена на училището.

📸 📹Благодарим на най-страхотните фотограф и видеограф – Асен и Венци, както и на операторите Живко и Жени.

🎛️ Благодарим и на най-чудния DJ – Ники.

🧑‍🎨На кураторите на двете изложби във Варна – Виктория Георгиева – MOUSE и Петър Костадинов.

🙌 На доброволците – Амира, Милена, Николета, Тео, Дени, Соня, София и Гоша.

👀 И, разбира се – на себе си: Луси, Яна П., Яна Л., Алекс, Гери и Юлия.

Сърца за всички! 💛

И дано не сме пропуснали някого...

A round of applause for all our Bulgarian partners and friends for making this year’s edition of PICTOPLASMA a reality! 👏

Address

Varna

Website

https://balkans.pictoplasma.com/

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