The Pokémon Company is working with The Van Gogh Museum to celebrate the latter’s 50th anniversary and introduce young artists to the painter.
Between September 28, 2023 and January 7, 2024, the collaboration will include interactive guides through a selection of Van Gogh’s works and the stories behind them. The Post-Impressionist painter was also preoccupied with Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints, and the Pokémon crossover will tell attendees about this part of his artistic life.
Tickets for general admission are available through The Van Gogh Museum’s official website and these allow visitors access to the in-person presentations. However, the exploration of Van Gogh’s interest in Japanese traditional artwork is viewable online for those who won’t make it over to The Netherlands while the exhibition is on.
Additionally, there will be a new ‘Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat’ Pokémon Trading Card Game card inspired by one of the painter’s self-portraits. These are available as a gift with purchases of all Pokémon Centre and Van Gogh Museum products, while stocks last.
Pokemon x Van Gogh Museum – Snorlax Munchlax inspired by The Bedroom Credit: The Pokemon Company
“This collaboration will allow the next generation to get to know Vincent van Gogh’s art and life story in a refreshing way,” said Van Gogh Museum’s general director Emilie Gordenker in a press release.
“The Van Gogh Museum and The Pokémon Company International have drawn on many years of educational expertise to create a special experience for children, their supervisors, and we hope many others at the Van Gogh Museum.”
At the same time, there are fossilised Pokémon on show at the Gunma Museum of Natural History in Japan, which is the seventh time that this travelling exhibition has been available over the last two years.
With life-sized models of Pokémon like Archen, Kabuto, Omanyte, Relicanth and more, it aims to educate attendees about the real-life prehistoric inspirations of these fictional animals.
In other gaming news, the developer of Dave The Diver revealed its next game that is in a very different genre – an apocalypse stealth survival game featuring invincible zombies.