In a fusion of classic art and modern pop culture, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam opened its doors on September 28 to a unique Pokémon crossover event. This exhibition, which we covered in our previous article, features six Pokémon-themed paintings created in the style of Vincent van Gogh, including exclusive art and merchandise!
The artistic collaboration places beloved Pokémon into iconic van Gogh masterpieces. Pikachu takes the spotlight in “Self-portrait with Grey Felt Hat,” where the Pokémon mascot assumes the role of the legendary painter himself. “Sunflora,” another Pokémon, gracefully joins van Gogh’s famous “Sunflowers,” while Snorlax and Munchlax find a cozy spot in “The Bedroom.” This imaginative approach aims to introduce and educate young aspiring artists about van Gogh’s timeless works in a fun and accessible way.
By using familiar Pokémon characters like Pikachu, the exhibit allows visitors to easily identify the differences between the standard character design and the van Gogh-inspired versions. These differences serve as a visual representation of what makes van Gogh’s art unique and sets it apart from other artists, making it an engaging learning experience for both children and Pokémon fans alike.
The museum has designed an interactive “Pokémon Adventure” activity to guide visitors through the exhibit as well, completion of which rewards participants with a special “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat” Pokémon card. Additionally, the Van Gogh Museum offers a free Van Gogh and Pokémon lesson plan tailored for teachers of students aged 9 to 12, available online.
To complement this exciting exhibition, a range of exclusive Pokémon merchandise has been made available at the museum’s gift shop and online store. However, the opening days of the event were marred by scalpers who purchased large quantities of exclusive Pokémon merchandise, especially the exclusive promo card, leading to frustration among visitors. Listings even began to surface on online auction sites, with massive numbers of the cards being sold for upwards of hundreds of dollars.
Due to this issue, the gift shop implemented a purchase limit of one unique item per ticket holder, ensuring that more fans can enjoy the goods without fear of competing with resellers. Although the items were supposed to launch on the online gift shop as well, this was postponed as organizers planned out how to prevent scalpers from draining stock.
The Pokémon x Van Gogh event will be available to visitors until January 7, offering a blend of art and Pokémon magic that appeals to both young and old alike. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to explore the world of Van Gogh through the lens of Pokémon, and to take home a piece of exclusive Pokemon merchandise!
More can be seen on the official website here.
