Time flies when you’re having fun! The Art Department party is starting in roughly one month so we felt you might like to catch up with all cool stuff we have prepared for the 2024 edition in Eidnhoven!
Our carefully curated program of artist talks highlights every aspect of the creative process. Think talks by artists such as Harry Potters’ concept artist Rob Bliss, Pirates of the Carribean character designer Crash McCreery, concept artist on Dr. Strange Karla Ortiz, visual development artist Sylvain Marc who worked on Pixar’s Luca and layout and background designer Armand Serrano who contributed on classics like Mulan, Lilo & Stitch and Tarzan. Also joining us are senior animator Tim Allen, known for his work with Aardman for Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget as well as the Oscar winning Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, alongside dear Playgrounds Friend Jama Jurabaev known for his works on Jurassic World and the StarWars series.
We’ve prepared talks also from the super talented Anna Mantzaris, part of the animation team of Wes Anderson’s Isle of the Dogs, as well as animator and illustrator Lava, currently working for Glen Keane Productions.
We are very excited to welcome Ian Mackinnon, founder of Mackinnon and Saunders, much loved for their puppetry work for Fantastic Mr. Fox, Corpse Bride and Guillermo del Toro’s Oscar winning Pinocchio. Croatian-based Prime Render animation studio will be letting us peek behind the scenes of the award-winning VR short film Dislocation, and Rasmus Poulsen from Technouveau will be sharing his design approach and general workflow in Blender
Also joining are the Indian illustrator Somnath Pal (Sons of Ram, Court), UK-based Form Play (Google, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Sephora), set designer and animator Edwin Rhemrev (Despicable Me 3, The Grinch) and art director Jeffrey Thompson who worked on Rick & Morty and the Spider-Verse series.
Games aficionados will rejoice at the prospects of listening to Larian Studios, of Baldur’s Gate III fame and Danar Worya known for his work on The Last of Us (game and series!). We’ll also be joined by Pedro Conti, character designer and vis dev artist for Guerrilla, Epic Games, Marvel and Walt Disney studios.
Real Talks, a concept we successfully sported during In Motion but very relevant for The Art Department as well, is back and it will feature artists Iris Compiet and Loish. These two powerhouse ladies of the Dutch illustration landscape, will discuss their process as well as tackling important aspects for personal artistic growth while also being considerate about creating a fair working environment for others.
And it‘s not the only program piece making a come-back. The Industry Garden, Portfolio Reviews, Art Market, Artist Studios and Drink and Draw Berlin Live Sketching Sessions are once again happening during The Art Department 2024. Only bigger and greater than in the previous year(s)! One novelty element though is that the Art Market will be with free access. Yes, you‘re reading it right, a festival ticket is not required in order to enjoy all the beauties we are gathering there for you!
This year we’ll also have a brand new flooral enchanting the Ketelhuisplein created by Conform Cox, an outside exhibition featuring Characters from All Over the World, as well as an inside expo with spectacular installations such as Symbiosis, Imaginary Friend and ELELE, to name a few.
Two pitching sessions will be happening this year during The Art Department Eindhoven so make sure to check out Playgrounds Animation Pitch and/or the Playgrounds VR Pitch if you want to know which upcoming exciting projects are in the works.
Another premiere in the shape of the inaugural Art Department Film Fest, will be hosted in the iconic former Philips Natlab! Audiences will enjoy a perfect blend of independent short films, fresh new talent and Hollywood blockbusters – so, there’s sure to be something for everyone!
Many more surprises are headed your way. So watch this space! And in the meantime, why not try to meet and chat with other TADEindhoven enthusiasts, right on our Discord channel!