site.btaVarna to Host Second Edition of PICTOPLASMA x Balkans Contemporary Art Festival

The second Balkan edition of the world-renowned character design festival Pictoplasma x Balkans will take place in Varna from September 20 to 22, 2025, the organizers told BTA. The event will bring together illustrators, animators, graffiti artists, and visual storytellers from across the Balkans. The festival programme includes lectures, exhibitions, film screenings, creative workshops, and a design market.

Pictoplasma x Balkans is part of the global Pictoplasma platform, originally launched in Berlin and also held in New York. The Balkan edition is the platform’s first satellite event, extending the spirit of Pictoplasma into new geographic and cultural territories. Inspired by the Bulgarian model, a similar forum is now being organized in Copenhagen, the organizers added.

This year’s exhibition in Varna is titled Characters on the Road, capturing the idea of cultural, cognitive, and urban journeys across the Balkans. The exhibition will be hosted at the Varna railway station, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2025. Artists, illustrators, and animators interested in participating can submit their work for selection until August 20.

The Varna forum will feature lectures and workshops led by artists including: Tochka (Bulgaria), Megan Dominescu (Romania), Odd Bleat (Greece), Martina Paukova (Slovakia), Hana Tintor (Croatia), LINNCH/Vanja Vikalo (Serbia), Murat Palta (Turkiye), DRASH (North Macedonia).

The festival is organized by the StandArt Association with support from the global Pictoplasma network and the Culture Fund of Varna Municipality.