The Pokemon Company International partners with the Van Gogh Museum – That’s Gaming

Discover Pikachu, Eevee, Snorlax and many other Pokémon from Sept. 28 to Jan. 7 at Van Gogh Museum. Through various activities around Pokémon, in the museum and online, children can learn about Vincent van Gogh’s art in a new way.

In honor of the Van Gogh Museum’s 50th anniversary, Pokémon and the Van Gogh Museum have partnered to introduce new audiences to the work of Vincent van Gogh. Vincent’s work and Pokémon both have a special connection to Japanese art and culture. Japanese prints were a major influence on Vincent’s art and his view of the world. In a letter to his brother Theo in September 1888, he wrote of this inspiration, “And you cannot, I think, study Japanese art without becoming much more cheerful and happy, and it makes us return to nature, in spite of our upbringing and our work in a world full of conventions.

Emilie Gordenker, general director of the Van Gogh Museum, said, “This collaboration allows the next generation to learn about the art and life story of Vincent van Gogh in a refreshing way. The Van Gogh Museum and The Pokémon Company International are leveraging their years of educational expertise to provide a special experience for children, their companions and hopefully many others at the Van Gogh Museum.’

The partnership between The Pokémon Company and the Van Gogh Museum includes the following activities taking place between Sept. 28 and Jan. 7, 2024. To participate in the activities, you will need a regular admission ticket to the museum, which is only sold online.

– Presentation Pokémon in the Van Gogh Museum (permanent collection, floor 1)
Some of Vincent van Gogh’s best-known works from the Van Gogh Museum’s permanent collection inspired six paintings artists created of Pokémon. For example, Pikachute is seen in a work painted on Self-portrait with gray felt hat (1887) was inspired, the Pokémon Sunflora is hidden in a variation of Van Gogh’s famous Sunflowers (1889) and see Snorlax and Munchlax relaxing in work inspired by The Bedroom (1888). The six paintings are on display on the second floor of the Rietveld Building.

– Pokémon Adventure scavenger hunt (ages 6 and up, scavenger hunt to pick up in the Atrium)
The Pokémon Adventure scavenger hunt leads young visitors past the works of Vincent van Gogh that inspired the six paintings in the special presentation Pokémon in the Van Gogh Museum. During the activity, visitors will discover the museum and the stories behind the paintings. Visitors can turn in their completed booklet afterwards for a special Pikachu x Van Gogh Museum promo card (while supplies last). The Pokémon Adventure scavenger huntis available in Dutch and English.

– Online learning materials Pokémon x Van Gogh – Van Gogh at school (suitable for upper primary and lower secondary schools)
Vincent had a great admiration for all things Japanese, and Japanese printmaking taught him to look at the world differently. The large surfaces in strong colors, the everyday subjects and the attention to details from nature appealed to him. From the collaboration between Pokémon and the Van Gogh Museum, students learn about the relationship between Van Gogh and Japanese artists and how they inspired each other. The teaching materials are available in Dutch and English on the Van Gogh at School educational platform.

– ‘Draw yourself a Pikachu’ instructional video -. (in the restaurant, Rietveld Building 0)
The drawing video in the museum shows you how to draw Pikachu, the crowd favorite among Pokémon, and encourages you to try it yourself.

– The Van Gogh Museum Shop (in the museum and online) and The Pokémon Centre online store will feature an exclusive assortment of Pokémon x Van Gogh Museum products inspired by the works in the presentation.

Mathieu Galante, Head of Licensing at The Pokémon Company International said, “We are always looking for great partners with whom we can create unique and fun experiences for Pokémon fans, and we have really found them in the Van Gogh Museum. There is a strong link between the inspiration behind Pokémon and some of Vincent van Gogh’s most famous works. With this collaboration, we hope children will discover and immerse themselves in the world of art through the amazing works of Van Gogh and Pokémon.