In Amsterdam, the Vincent van Gogh Museum has decided to collaborate with Pokémon to display a new collection comprised of Pokémon-themed artwork in the museum starting on Sept. 28, 2023, to Jan. 7, 2024.  This collaboration is a wonderful attempt to reach out to the younger generations about art as a whole and about important artists and artworks to take note of.

The Pokémon collaboration is a great idea to teach younger kids about art by incorporating a game that practically everyone knows about. In this era, Pokémon has always been popular among society, especially with kids and teens, so to incorporate a connection between Vincent van Gogh’s artwork and Pokémon is a stellar way to catch the attention of adolescents.

Children today are so focused on all the current trends that they tend to forget about or ignore history and all the beautiful art that came from it. However, when making art and history interesting for the younger generation, it piques their interest in the art they are seeing if it is something that they can connect to.

Along with the amusing Pokémon versions of Van Gogh art pieces like a Pikachu representation of Van Gogh’s “Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat” and Munchlax and Snorlax in the “Bedroom in Arles,” there are activities that encourage museum visitors to interact with them, like teaching them how to draw Pikachu, an iconic Pokémon figure. When you provide something fun and exciting but also interactive, it attracts the attention and enjoyment from people of all ages.

The most important reason for this collaboration is the idea of spreading Vincent van Gogh’s legacy to everyone in a more relatable and modern way while also showing the beauty of Japanese art and culture. Emilie Gordenker, the general director of the Van Gogh Museum, says, “This collaboration will allow the next generation to get to know Vincent van Gogh’s art and life story in a refreshing way. The Van Gogh Museum and The Pokémon Company 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.” If the museum can create a joyful yet educational experience for everyone regardless of age, then the visitors will be able to learn more about art and culture through an impactful and modern take on Van Gogh’s legacy.

Although this collaboration between the Van Gogh Museum and Pokémon might be unexpected or surprising, I have no doubt that this collaboration will be successful based on what we have seen so far. Even though there is a chance in the future that this collaboration will not work as well as expected, I have optimism that everything will turn out well. If you are ever planning a vacation for Amsterdam, I would recommend stopping by at the Vang Gogh Museum to see all the awesome artwork it has to offer. While you are there, make sure to also see the Pokémon exhibit before the collaboration ends on Jan.7, 2024!