Pictoplasma x StickerApp

Somewhere between a manifesto, a doodle, and a traffic jam confession, the bumper sticker quietly became one of the world’s smallest stages for self-expression. Loud opinions, jokes, and existential crises squeezed into a few inches and slapped onto the back of a moving vehicle. Poetry, honestly.

That’s exactly why StickerApp teamed up with Pictoplasma for the Call for Sticky Characters, a global creative challenge inviting artists to say something simple, sharp, and unforgettable, powered by character.

19 maj 2026

Pictoplasma flag hanging from a building, with art displayed in the background and two women walking towards it.
Yellow Mercedes body covered in bumper stickers in various shapes and sizes, with a german licence plate in a art exihibition context..

Sticky characters and loud statements

The mission was to create a classic bumper sticker with two essential ingredients: a message and a messenger. Something silly, serious, chaotic, emotional, absurd, relatable, or completely impossible to explain at a red light. The only rule was that it had to communicate fast and with personality.

The response, to impress the younger generations, ate and left no crumbs. Artists from around the world transformed the humble bumper sticker into tiny identity billboards, using expressive characters to tackle everything from personal anxieties and political statements to niche humor and pure nonsense. In other words: exactly the kind of stuff we love.

A curated selection of these sticky statements was later showcased at Neurotitan Gallery in Berlin from May 6-10, as part of the 22nd Pictoplasma Berlin Conference on Character Creativity, proving once and for all that a great character doesn’t need a giant canvas to leave a lasting impression.

Sometimes all it takes is a good idea, a sticky surface, and a little personality glued on top.

Enjoy this photo bomb from the conference!

The bumper sticker car: The star of the show

Over 1600+ submissions came in, so it's fair to say people have a lot to say. Or simply having too many quotes living in their heads rent-free.

The bumper stickers on the car featured all 100 winning entries from the challenge.

Yellow Mercedes body hanging in wires, covered in bumper stickers in various shapes and sizes at an art show.
Yellow Mercedes body covered in bumper stickers in various shapes and sizes, with a german licence plate.
Yellow Mercedes body covered in bumper stickers in various shapes and sizes, with a german licence plate.
Yellow Mercedes body covered in bumper stickers in various shapes and sizes, with a german licence plate.
Yellow Mercedes body covered in bumper stickers in various shapes and sizes, with a german licence plate in a art exihibition context..
Yellow Mercedes body covered in bumper stickers in various shapes and sizes, with one door open.
People looking at a car at an exhibition hanging from a ceiling, covered in different shaped and colored bumper stickers.

Sticker-slapping was inevitable

It's safe to say that we love stickers. And that they're quite possibly the best mood enhancer in all the land. We spread this message far and wide, and the best part? Getting to team up with champs like the crew behind Pictoplasma and their awesome community for exhibitions and challenges like these.

Die-cut stickers printed in various materials and sizes slapped on an orange wall.
Die-cut stickers printed in various materials and sizes sitting on a dark table
Die-cut stickers printed in various materials and sizes slapped on a dark blue wall.
Two people standing in front of a wall covered in wall stickers in various shapes and sizes.
Sticker packs with different die-cut stickers, displayed with other stickers and merch, at a trade show.
Hand holding a kiss-cut sticker with the StickerApp logo and colorful art on the front, with a person and stickers on a table in the background.
Hand holding a bag and several die-cut stickers in hands, with stickers and art laying on a table in the background.

Community is everything!

What makes Pictoplasma special has never been just the characters on the walls; it’s the people behind them. The artists sketching weird little creatures at café tables, the visitors filling galleries and conference halls with conversations, the creators swapping ideas, stickers, stories, and encouragement between events.

It’s a community built on curiosity, creativity, and a shared love for character-driven expression.

Visitors at an art exhibition talking, behind them artwork made of wall stickers hanging on display.
Visitors at an art exhibition talking, behind them artwork made of wall stickers hanging on display.
Visitors at an art exhibition talking, behind them artwork made of wall stickers hanging on display.
Visitors at an art exhibition talking, behind them artwork made of wall stickers hanging on display.
Visitors at a booth at an exihibtion, looking at ant grabbing various die-cut stickers laying on a table with a salesperson behind.
Visitors at an art exhibition talking, in the foreground is a piece of art hanging with the text "Be your own damn star".
Visitors at an art exhibition talking, behind them artwork hanging on display, with the text "Distortion Club".

About Pictoplasma

Pictoplasma is a curatorial organisation investigating the art and impact of adventurous figurative representation across creative genres and cultures. We push forward character-driven visuals and storytelling that shape the way we understand and interact with our world – inside and out. Founded in 1999 in Berlin, Pictoplasma connects pioneering creatives and industries across illustration, animation, art, design, gaming, and emerging media through international conferences, educational programmes, best-selling publications, institutional exhibitions, and a global community network.


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