Interest
New Orleans' Mysterious Pikachu Statue Set for Benefit Auction
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
The mysterious Pikachu statue that appeared in a New Orleans' park earlier this month will be finding a new home. The mysterious statue attracted both "controversy and vandalism" and an outpouring of positive attention from residents after it was erected at an unused fountain in Coliseum Square.
The statue is now gone, with the exception of a sign that reads "#Pokegone." The artwork, in collaboration with the artists, is set to be auctioned off with proceeds benefiting the Coliseum Square Association. The association will use the money to get fountains at the square up and running again and improve green spaces in the park.
The artists behind the statue, who still remain anonymous, issued a statement about the artwork via YouTube.
"Public sculpture, whether sanctioned or not, has the potential to transform and energize community spaces," the artists said. "When we snuck a Pikachu statue into the middle of a dry fountain on Terpsichore Street, we could not have imagined that it would attract so much attention. That the momentum would carry its image around the world. Overwhelmed and touched doesn't begin to describe what the response has meant to us. We would like to use that positive momentum to bring about a larger, more permanent change for our community."
Across the Atlantic, another town is home to its own Pokémon Go statue. The Norwegian village of Vindenes found itself without a single PokéStop when the mobile game launched last month. Residents found that the nearest PokéStop, a designated real-life location that gives visitors items in the game, was three to five miles away. YouTube channel Sotra Anchor & Chain uploaded a video about Vindenes' problem and suggesting a solution: more prominent landmarks in the town.
A 10-foot-tall Pokeball statue is revealed in the video. Residents are hoping the statue will draw attention from game creators Niantic and get Vindenes its first PokéStop.
Source: Della Hasselle at The Advocate, Ben Hooper at UPI
