Van Gogh Museum Reportedly Fires Multiple Employees After Pokemon Controversy

24.01.2024 - 21:31 / gamerant.com / Vincent Van-Gogh / Michael Brandon Ingram

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam has reportedly fired four employees in the aftermath of a major controversy surrounding the museum'sPokemon exhibition from last Fall. The worldwide popularity of Nintendo's iconic monster-catching franchise has seen the series honored in a variety of different manners since the games' 1996 debut. The series has regularly featured both digital and in-person exhibitions sharing the art and history of the franchise, including last year's «Pokemon Colors» exhibit in Yokohama. However, one of the most recent exhibitions has plenty of controversy attached.

Last Fall saw the highly-anticipated collaboration between Pokemon and Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum, featuring the iconic creatures drawn in the style of prolific artist Vincent Van Gogh. The event also featured a limited-edition trading card, with the «Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat» available for museum visitors. However, the card was later pulled from the exhibit, due to the aggressive nature of visitors trying to acquire the card and rampant scalping. Now, several employees of the museum have been fired in connection with major misconduct surrounding the event.

As reported by Eurogamer, official sources from the museum have confirmed that at least four employees were suspended in connection with the event. Charges against the employees range from embezzling boxes of Pokemon cards featured in the event to sharing restricted information about the exhibit. One source for the museum also confirmed that one of the employees connected to the controversy had been employed at the Van Gogh Museum for 25 years before the incident. The museum did not confirm the total number of employees involved, sharing that more personnel had been relieved of their duties in December.

The popularity of Pokemon and its trading card game has led to scalping becoming a major issue within the game's community. Some of the game's most expensive cards can fetch thousands of dollars through online marketplaces like eBay, with limited-edition and older cards often fetching even higher values. The game's frequent promotions have also often fallen victim to scalpers, with Pokemon's McDonald's collaborations regularly stirring up controversy from overzealous fans.

While scalping has been a common issue within the Pokemon community, both the Pokemon Company and individual stores have taken steps to discourage and prevent scalping. Following the previously mentioned Van Gogh Pikachu's removal, The Pokemon Company offered the «Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat» card as a promotion through its online store. Other shops have taken measures to prevent scalpers from buying out their stock, such as limiting quantities or controlling who can purchase Pokemon cards. Pokemon's