The Japanese iconic cartoon Pikachu is adorable, but the Chim Pom ‘Super Rats’ will give many a chill down their spine. Chim Pom is an art collective from Japan who decided to give Tokyo’s rat problem a little artistic twist. Tired of these rodents, the group went on an urban hunt to catch as many as they could to turn them into real-life taxidermied Pikachus.
Apparently, the city’s animals are immune to poison, so Chim Pom created a solution to these “super rats,” as they are known in the Asiatic region. By using cages and nest, the group, which is formed of six members, managed to catch a good number of rodents to gave them a particularly unique make over. The Super Rats were taxidermied, painted in yellow and decorated with red cheeks. Lastly, in order to create Pikachus’ zig-zag trademark tail, a wire was struck through their long behinds.
Featured in artist and singer Pharell’s documentary for Palladium shoes, the Chim Pom Super Rats are both scary and entertaining.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Taxidermied Art
- Opportunity for artists to use taxidermy in unique and unconventional ways, such as turning pests into art pieces like the Chim Pom 'Super Rats'.
- Creative Pest Control
- Potential for innovative approaches to dealing with urban pest problems, like using artistic methods to catch and transform pests, as demonstrated by Chim Pom.
- Artistic Critique
- Growing trend of art collectives using their work to comment on social issues, exemplified by Chim Pom's ironic statement on the rat problem in Tokyo.
Where This Applies
- Art and Design
- Artists and designers have the opportunity to explore new ways of using taxidermy to create unique art pieces, like the Chim Pom 'Super Rats'.
- Pest Control
- Pest control companies can consider innovative approaches to dealing with urban pest problems, such as incorporating artistic methods to catch and control pests.
- Documentary Filmmaking
- Documentary filmmakers can explore the intersection of art, social issues, and entertainment, as seen in Pharell's documentary featuring the Chim Pom 'Super Rats'.
