Company: Pokémon Center & Van Gogh Museum
Release: 2023
Size: +/- 20cm
Main distribution: Amsterdam (Van Gogh Museum), USA / UK (Pokémon Centers)
This is a collaboration between the Pokémon Center and Van Gogh Museum. A special exhibition of Pokémon in Van Gogh’s art style were on display in the Van Gogh Museum, teaching kids about Van Gogh, and special merchandise was made to promote it.
From 28 September 2023 until 7 January 2024 the special Pokémon exhibition was on at the Van Gogh Museum. This was to celebrate the Museum’s 50th anniversary, and to introduce new audiences to Van Gogh’s work.
Special activities were present, such as a Pokémon Adventure activity, learning about the connection between Van Gogh and Japan and a guide on how to draw Pikachu.
The merchandise ranged from plush, posters, cards, sleeves, notebooks, bags, pins and bookstands, all with the images of the Pokémon in Van Gogh’s art style. There was also a special Van Gogh Pikachu Promo Card, which you could get once you had finished the Pokémon Adventure activity, and later from eligible purchases on the Pokémon Center store.
I got 1; the plush.
Pikachu
Release: 2023
SKU: 701-97217
UPC: 0820650972171
Pikachu is standing upright. It’s a basic Pikachu plush from the Pokémon Center, dressed up as Van Gogh. Pikachu wears a blue shirt/overcoat, with a little white undershirt collar, and a large straw head. He’s holding a paint brush and used artist paint palette.
Pikachu is firmly filled, with a hard flat bottom so he can stand upright. He’s soft with a short, smooth pile. His clothing feels smooth like satin, and the hat has a texture similar to jute to mimic the straw. The rim can be bend in shape. The paintbrush and palette are of a cheaper felt like material and printed on.
On his back left side at the bottom are the tags. The tush tag is long and has both the Pokémon Center and Van Gogh Museum logos, the rest is standard Pokémon Center details. The hang tag is attached underneath and is the standard Western Pokémon Center hangtag, except for the front, which in stead of a Pokéball, is blank with the Pokémon Center and Van Gogh Museum logos in the bottom right corner. Inside it also states that the purchase supports the work of the Van Gogh Museum.
We love Van Gogh’s work, and his connection to Japan. We share a similar interest in wood block art. And as a Dutch person, and fellow artist, he is of course high on my list.
So when Pokémon announced the collab, we were excited! I mainly wanted the Pikachu plush, as I also have a Miffy Van Gogh plush, and seeing my pop culture icons crossover with Van Gogh is funny and inspiring. But we wouldn’t mind having a look at it all.
We were even going to be in the Netherlands during the event! Having just visited the museum again in the summer prior, I guess another trip had to be made now. But alas, the Pikachu promo card became so wanted, and resellers stormed the place for the merchandise, it became impossible to get tickets (even worse than normal). People would harass you on Museum Plein, just outside the Van Gogh Museum, and the shop would get practically destroyed within hours. Resell prices became crazy. It got so bad, it got pulled from the Van Gogh Museum, and made the news in the Netherlands and BBC. Eventually the Pokémon Center started selling the merchandise online in the UK. And it instantly sold out.
I was so disheartened I would miss out on the Pikachu Van Gogh plush… A uniquely Dutch Pokémon item felt so fitting to me. But after a few months of waiting, the Pokémon Center restocked and I could finally get my plush. I didn’t get the Pikachu promo card (now fully out of stock), but I didn’t care for it anyway (although it would have been nice to have). I hope all those resellers hoping to make a quick buck got stuck with all the items!
Pikachu is based on the many self portraits from Van Gogh wearing blue with a straw head.
Which is a nice touch and seems more Van Gogh somehow than Miffy, who simply wears a dress with Van Gogh’s artwork, and a blue painters smock with straw head with blue ribbon.
Pikachu retailed for £24.99, which I guess is a fairly standard price and not bad for a special collaboration item.
If you love Pokémon and Van Gogh, this collaboration is a dream.
If you’re not into art, you might give this a miss.
Got any more details / information you think I should add? Or did I get something wrong? Do you own the same plush? Do you agree or disagree with my findings? Let me know in the comments below!