Daniel Arsham's Latest Venture Into the World of Pokémon
The artist's latest collaboration with Pokémon brings everyone's favourite video game to life as they announce the opening of the 'Ripple in Time' exhibition in Japan.
Aside from the mesmerising futuristic erosion and crystallised looks of his works, New York-based artist Daniel Arsham is also known for his capabilities of bridging the gap between disciplines. First recognised for bridging the gap between architecture and art and gaining the nickname of "architect of the future", he was also able to bring art and fashion together.
He initially combined both worlds by becoming the first artist to have collaborated with Adidas and creating a pair of sneakers that truly reflected his creative inspiration. In 2019, Arsham was invited by Kim Jones, Dior’s Men Artistic Director, to create the scenography for Dior’s Men Summer 2020 fashion show. The set included monolithic sculptures that spelt out the word “D.I.O.R” in large and truly resonated with the artist’s aesthetic.
More recently, Tiffany & Co. collaborated with Daniel Arsham to create the 'Bronze Eroded Tiffany Blue Box', a limited series of 49 sculptures. Through his 'Future Relics' allure, Arsham revisits and recreates what must be one of the brand’s most iconic and important pieces of heritage.
Now, Daniel Arsham is bridging the gap between art and video games as he announced on his Instagram on February 14th that he and Pokémon have finally released an animated short film to celebrate the opening of their 'A Ripple in Time' exhibition, the third collaboration of a series of five art exhibitions.
Created in partnership with Kunihiko Yuyama, the director of the Pokémon film series, the episode opens with a classic stadium battle between Ash and Pikachu against Arsham and Cubone and showcases Arsham’s crystallised Pokémon statues throughout.
The art exhibition itself will showcase over twenty sculptures from the artist to complement and enhance the story of the film. Following classic Arsham style, the crystal erosion Pokémon sculptures are scattered throughout Tokyo and feature characters of the likes of Bulbasaur, Jigglypuff, Charmander and more.
Pokemon has long been a part of Arsham’s creative inspiration and even his personal favourites. He announced on Instagram that he was “granted official permission by Pokémon to revisit their archive and create" three years ago. As such, in addition to their current exhibition in Japan, Arsham has his own private series of Pokémon cards reliefs and sculptures.
