The annual Image Festival Rotterdam offers a wide-ranging and substantial overview of all the aspects of the world of image and media. It is a meeting place for makers of images (graphic designers, animators, illustrators, photographers etc) and the people who are interested in the work, opinions and insights.

The theme of the Image Festival 2011 is: Made by Hand & Head. By choosing this theme the Image Festival wants to support and focus on a current trend in the world of imagery and the image industry, a ‘revival’ of craftsmanship, authenticity and works of a highly personal style and signature. The programme on 4 & 5 November at De Gouverne (formerly Lantaren/Venster) will offer visitors the opportunity to see and experience innumerable examples of this inspiring and interesting trend.

Panique au Village guests of honor on Saturday 5 November

The Image Festival takes place on several locations in Rotterdam on 4 and 5 November 2011. Illustrators, photographers, animators, comics writers, artists, video makers and graphic designers will present their work. From 2009 on, the Image Festival has been presenting an overview of cross-overs and co-creations in the world of imagery by hosting a broad mix of disciplines, creators, conceptualizers and inspirational creatives.

This year, presentations by Teun Hocks (photographer), Paul Faassen (illustrator), Bart Aalbers (live-cartoonist), Job Wouters (typographer/designer), Han Hoogerbrugge (multimedia artist), Hedof (illustrator) and Harmen Liemburg (artist/graphic designer).

Panic in the village with a cowboy, an indian and a horse Undoubtedly Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Patar, the Belgium creators of ‘Panique au Village’ will be the guests of honour. Some years ago Aubier en Patar were hugely successful with their animations in the Dutch television programme VPRO’s Villa Achterwerk. In their animated short films, the leading parts are played by small plastic toys: a cowboy, an indian and a horse. In their presentation Aubier en Patar will set out the process of making their stop-motion-films. It would certainly be difficult to find a better example of video and handiwork to illustrate the theme ‘Made by Hand & Head’.

A varied programme During the festival handmade posters by students of de Willem de Kooning Academie will be on display in the windows of the shops on the Nieuwe Binnenweg. A vacant shop will be fixed up temporarily to serve as a public printing office where images makers will produce work by means of four-colour duplicating machines. In the Centrum voor Beeldende Kunst work by artist architect Sander Bokkinga will be on display and in galerie Opperclaes the world of London based artist David Shillinglaw can be explored. The festival will end on Saturday 5 November with a party at De Unie were music and image will mingle.

You can visit the Image Festival online for a complete programme and updates and become friends on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Participating locations are: - De Gouverne – Gouvernestraat 133 - De Unie – Mauritsweg 35/35 - CBK – Nieuwe Binnenweg 75 - Opperclaes – Claes de Vrieselaan 103