2023-09-30 15:36:39
Aiming to reach a young audience, the Van Gogh Museum launched a partnership with Pokémon on Thursday September 28. Enough to attract a crowd of collectors, hoping in particular to get their hands on a card showing Pikachu wearing a felt hat inspired by a self-portrait of the Dutch master.
Bring your Pokédex to admire the Potato Eaters or the Sunflowers, why not? Aiming to reach a young audience, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam launched a partnership with Pokémon on Thursday September 28. The operation worked a little too well: a crowd of collectors flocked, hoping in particular to get their hands on a card showing Pikachu wearing a felt hat inspired by a self-portrait of the Dutch master. So much so that the museum was somewhat overwhelmed.
The main object of desire: a “Pika-Portrait” card, given to visitors aged 6 and over “subject to availability” and on the condition that they participate in a “quest” and answer questions. It is also available in official Pokémon stores in the UK, USA and Canada. However, the company indicated on Friday on its X account (formerly Twitter) that “due to massive demand, all of our products in this collection are sold out” and announced that it was working on a solution.
«Scalpers»
If the card with the painting of the chubby Pokémon is not sold in the Amsterdam museum store, the latter does however sell other derivative products. And he was not spared by “PokéMania”. Images posted on social media showed crowds of adult visitors fighting over posters and clothing on which were printed Pokémon paintings inspired by the Dutch master’s works.
These people are described by connoisseurs as “scalpers”, comprising individuals who buy products available in limited numbers with high demand to resell them at a higher price. “The regrettable behavior of a small number of visitors during the first day of the collaboration was not anticipated,” declared a spokesperson for the museum, which assured this Saturday, September 30, that it had guaranteed the safety of everyone and did not have had similar problems since.
Now, the museum is limiting purchases to one of each item per person, which will soon be “available in the online store […] while stocks last”. “The work of Vincent van Gogh and Pokémon have a special connection to Japanese art and culture,” explained the museum in a press release earlier this week, which offers a series of activities until January 7, 2024 to to attract a young audience and “people who would otherwise not be interested in the Van Gogh Museum.” Six paintings created by Pokémon Company artists are presented, including Pikachu inspired by Self-Portrait with a Felt Hat (1887) found on the card.
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