Museums are transforming the ways they present the information to us. They are trying to be more engaging, more adaptable to different audiences, they add some gamification aspects to their exhibitions, and sometimes do collaborations that garner the attention of a certain demographic.
Such is the case with one of the most recent collaborations, one between the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and Pokémon. The premise is simple: both the Dutch artist and the multi-media franchise took a lot of inspiration from Japanese art. As the press release says, Japanese prints had a profound impact on Vincent's art and on his worldview.
A few years ago the museum explored this connection, launching the exhibition "Van Gogh in Japan", but the current event is targeted at a different audience.
The exhibition that features six "pokémon-ified" works of Van Gogh that were created by the famous Pokémon card artists is a way to get children interested in the works of the artist. The museum's representatives believe that "This collaboration will allow the next generation to get to know Vincent van Gogh's art and life story in a refreshing way," as said in a statement.
The gamification element includes a simple scavenger hunt-like game called "The Pokémon Adventure" that prompts the visitors to explore the museum, learn about the works of Vincent Van Gogh, and in the end get a limited edition promo card featuring Pikachu in a gray felt hat.
Yet something went wrong: the museum was stormed by adults emptying the gift shop; the online sales of the goods created for the collaboration were busted due to resellers using bots and emptying the stock in mere seconds after the collection went online; and overall the collaboration that was meant to cherish the beauty of Japanese art and its connection to the Dutch artist turned into a clearance sale-like frenzy celebrating cold capitalism.
However, the goods are not the only ways to experience the connection between Van Gogh and Pokémon: the museum also offers a "How to Draw Pikachu" video guide at the museum's restaurant and some teaching materials at the museum's online school that explores the connection between the little pocket monsters and Dutch artist deeply, studying the techniques and artistry.
The collaboration will run until January 7th, 2024.
They actually have something in common.
Museums are transforming the ways they present the information to us. They are trying to be more engaging, more adaptable to different audiences, they add some gamification aspects to their exhibitions, and sometimes do collaborations that garner the attention of a certain demographic.
Such is the case with one of the most recent collaborations, one between the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and Pokémon. The premise is simple: both the Dutch artist and the multi-media franchise took a lot of inspiration from Japanese art. As the press release says, Japanese prints had a profound impact on Vincent's art and on his worldview.
A few years ago the museum explored this connection, launching the exhibition "Van Gogh in Japan", but the current event is targeted at a different audience.
The exhibition that features six "pokémon-ified" works of Van Gogh that were created by the famous Pokémon card artists is a way to get children interested in the works of the artist. The museum's representatives believe that "This collaboration will allow the next generation to get to know Vincent van Gogh's art and life story in a refreshing way," as said in a statement.
The gamification element includes a simple scavenger hunt-like game called "The Pokémon Adventure" that prompts the visitors to explore the museum, learn about the works of Vincent Van Gogh, and in the end get a limited edition promo card featuring Pikachu in a gray felt hat.
Yet something went wrong: the museum was stormed by adults emptying the gift shop; the online sales of the goods created for the collaboration were busted due to resellers using bots and emptying the stock in mere seconds after the collection went online; and overall the collaboration that was meant to cherish the beauty of Japanese art and its connection to the Dutch artist turned into a clearance sale-like frenzy celebrating cold capitalism.
However, the goods are not the only ways to experience the connection between Van Gogh and Pokémon: the museum also offers a "How to Draw Pikachu" video guide at the museum's restaurant and some teaching materials at the museum's online school that explores the connection between the little pocket monsters and Dutch artist deeply, studying the techniques and artistry.
The collaboration will run until January 7th, 2024.
