2020.08.18
What if Pokémon were discovered by a civilization one thousand years in the future?
Index
1. Modern Art Master Meets Pokémon
Born in 1980 in Ohio and now based in New York, Daniel Arsham is an artist who enjoys global acclaim in the contemporary art world.
At the invitation of Dior’s Artistic Director, Kim Jones, Arsham was commissioned to create the large-scale sculptures that served as the centerpiece for a Dior fashion show and drew international attention.
Arsham’s connection with Pokémon began in 2018 during a visit to the pop-up store for the “THUNDERBOLT PROJECT BY FRGMT & POKÉMON” in Ginza*.
Reflecting on Arsham‘s personal history, Arsham was drawn to Pokémon as a child and was charmed by its fantasy universe that existed outside the boundaries of everyday life. “Pokémon felt like part of our culture or universe,” the artist added.
“THUNDERBOLT PROJECT BY FRGMT & POKÉMON” was a joint project between Pokémon and Fragment, a design group led by music producer, composer, and arranger Hiroshi Fujiwara. Launched in October 2018, project presentations at HYPEFEST and Amazon Fashion Week Tokyo drew lots of attention, as did the pop-up locations in Ginza at THE CONVENI and DOVER STREET MARKET.
2. “Pokémon in 1,000 Years” Expressed Through Art
“Daniel Arsham x Pokémon” is a project that evolved from Arsham’s interest in exploring the possibilities of Pokémon in the realm of art.
For the concept, Arsham proposed the question, “What would it be like if Pokémon were discovered a thousand years in the future?”
To explore this concept, Arsham decided to create “Relics of Kanto Through Time,” a series of sculptures depicting the world of Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green (released as Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue outside Japan) as if they were unearthed in the year 3020. This first collaboration between Pokémon and this extraordinary contemporary artist resulted in the creation of unprecedented pieces of art.
During the creative process, Arsham revealed sketches of Pikachu on his Instagram page, surprising both the art world and Pokémon fans.
Social media quickly lit up with speculation as people asked, “What is the connection between Daniel Arsham and Pokémon?” and “Is this the start of a new project?”
3. Reexamining Daily Life through the Lens of Pokémon
Arsham refers to his creative framework as “fictional archeology.” The artist imagines future archeologists unearthing all the things that inform our lives today as a way of reexamining our current experiences.
Discussing his creative vision, Arsham explains that the goal is “to change our concept of time by making us step outside the time frame in which we live.”
The exhibition of Arsham’s Pokémon-inspired works, “Daniel Arsham x Pokémon,” will be taking place at two venues in Tokyo’s Shibuya area – NANZUKA gallery in June 2020 and PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO in August 2020.