Illustrative’s Night in Berlin
Berlin is probably today’s definitive melting pot, the most raw and creative place on earth. Word on the street is that it uncannily resembles the unchained New York of 20 years ago. In Berlin people worship tradition and destroy convention; it is truly the city where the vintage of the future is being made. It therefore comes as no surprise that the German capital is playing host to the planet’s largest festival for contemporary illustration and graphic arts, which will take place for the sixth time in May 2011.
The illustrators night presented by Swatch and Illustrative e.V. will award a winning illustrator, animator or book artist with the world’s foremost prize for contemporary illustration on November 5th 2010 at Direktorenhaus, a space for contemporary applied arts and experimental design in Berlin developed by Illustrative’s initiators Pascal Johanssen and Katja Kleiss. The winning artist will gain (in addition to a €6000 prize in publications and contracts with agencies) the opportunity to showcase his or her work during next year’s event, and will additionally play part in the design process of a limited edition Swatch.
The blueprint for this event is a platform for the exchange of ideas between illustrators, animators, book artists, art directors, journalists. While enjoying a grand gala dinner including performances, the new exhibition, an after-party, this event most importantly allows creatives to discuss and celebrate illustration in the word’s purer sense, enlightenment through visualization. The Swatch Young Illustrators Award gives an alluring sample of what is sure to be an excellent showcase at Illustrative 2011.
By Safia Brown
