The Pokémon exhibit may have taken place a year ago at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, but it is generating a lot of interest only now. Word is going around that four workers were dismissed over the chaos surrounding last year’s collaborative exhibition with the Pokémon Company. First reported by the Dutch newspaper Het Parool, the employees were suspended in December 2023. They worked in operational services as security guards, or in the checkroom or ticket office.
One of them even embezzled a box of limited-edition Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat cards, modeled on Van Gogh’s 1887 self-portrait. One of the four sacked employees had worked at the museum for 25 years. It’s puzzling why he would tell visitors exactly when they could best nab the cards, breaching the museum’s procedures and codes of conduct. The Pokémon Van Gogh exhibit opened in September and ran until the start of January. The exhibit showcased six Pokémon paintings in the Van Gogh style, but for most visitors, the cherry on the cake was an exclusive Pikachu trading card and other merchandise.
What followed was sheer chaos, with videos of the turmoil in the gift shop emerging on social media. According to Eurogamer, the merchandise was later sold on eBay by scalpers at hugely inflated prices, reaching hundreds of pounds. As a result, the museum stopped issuing the cards. The Pokémon Company later apologized to fans, stating, ‘Due to overwhelming demand, all our products from this collection have sold out. We understand this is disappointing to many who were looking to our official email and social media channels for guidance on how and when to purchase.’
