Accompanied by a treasure hunt and wearing Pokémon masks, children (and big kids!) begin their visit with a return to the origins of the saga. Direction 1996: the birth of a global phenomenon, a true Pokémania that, for nearly thirty years, has brought together all generations.
The first part of the exhibition unfolds like an immersive time capsule, plunging visitors into the 1990s. There they discover a portrait of its creator, Satoshi Tajiri, the very first Japanese and French cards, preparatory drawings for the animated series, as well as vintage boosters and goodies that have become cult items. Giant Game Boys will even allow visitors to replay the very first Pokémon games.
The exhibition then explores the profound influence of Japanese culture on the Pokémon universe. Yōkai masks, woodblock prints and sculptures will engage in dialogue with their counterparts from the game, revealing the close ties between folklore, spirituality and contemporary imagination. Visitors can thus enjoy the resemblances between Ludicolo and the Kappa, Barbicha and the Namazu, or Tengalice and the Tengu.
References to art history also punctuate the route: Alphonse Mucha, Piet Mondrian, Edvard Munch and Vincent van Gogh have been subtly reworked by Pokémon card illustrators. Their works will engage in dialogue with these mischievous creatures in an unexpected hall of mirrors.
The exhibition will also highlight contemporary artists who pay tribute to Japanese pop culture and the Pokémon universe, underlining how the boundaries between art, video games and popular culture have now become porous. Takashi Murakami is one of the most emblematic examples; Jean-Michel Basquiat already paid tribute to Gigantor in the early 1980s.
Finally, the route ends with a selection of works showing how the Pokémon imagination continues to inspire contemporary creation. Daniel Arsham, Katherine Bernhardt, Brusk, Hervé Di Rosa, Erró, David Heo, Thimothée Humbert, Mwoaa, Onemizer and Speedy Graphito offer these legendary characters a new artistic evolution.