Pictoplasma presents: Erik Willer – My Way into Picto Psychology

What should a picture signify, and what relationship do we have to it? In his lecture, Erik Willer, founder of picto-psychology, finds entirely new answers to these questions that have unsettled us since our school days and which, between hermeneutics and deconstruction, create considerable confusion.

Willer opens up access to those things which, when represented in pictures begin to speak to us themselves, and such that we become conscious of our direct affinity to virtual conspecifics, pop-cultural figures and archetypical pictorial entities.

Whether as consultant at leading automobile companies, as family therapist or curator – Willer’s knowledge and abilities take us by surprise by their broad ranging spectrum: he gives a new face to cars and robots, develops videos against computer game addiction and reads the thoughts of contemporary sculptures. In 2006 the qualified psychologist developed a process of system constellation, which includes both fictive figures and family members. By way of a final live experiment, Willer’s presentation sounds out the potential of each new discipline that has, to date, transcended the fundamental code defining the boundaries between image and subject, object and observer.

The lecture is presented by Pictoplasma, the International Festival for Character Design, Figure Design in Illustration, Animation and the Arts. The lecture will be followed by a screening of a short film program compiled by Willer and Pictoplasma.

• Erik Willer: Niels Bormann
• Text: Cordula Daus
• Production: Pictoplasma 2014