New Orleans Pikachu Statue Pulled Down Because Of Vandalism Concerns

Last month, a Pikachu statue mysteriously appeared in a New Orleans park, attracting worldwide attention thanks to the recent Pokemon Go craze. While many fans enjoyed the statue, the so called "Pokemonument" also drew the notice of several vandals. Pikachu's tail was damaged when a local resident attacked the fiberglass statue with a baseball bat, and two other vandals spraypainted graffiti on the statue's face and body. Although the statue's anonymous creator attempted repairs on the statue last week, they ultimately removed it from the park last weekend.

However, Pikachu's sculptor left a QR code where the statue once stood, which leads to a webpage explaining the creator's goals and future plans for the Pokemonument. According to the website, the Pikachu statue will be auctioned off next month, with the proceeds going towards the Lower Garden District Parks & Fountains Fund, which improves parks like the one where the Pikachu statue once stood. The artist's hope is that the auction proceeds will be used to restore fountains to some of New Orleans' parks.

In an interview with NOLA.com, the statue's sculptor admitted that the Pikachu statue was always intended as a temporary installation and that they wanted to keep the Pikachu in one piece so it could be auctioned off. "We chose to intervene and change the future narrative so [NOLA.com's] next headline wouldn't read 'Pikachu Statue Destroyed by Vandals,'" the artist said via email. "It would read 'Pikachu Statue Raises Money to Fix Fountains.'"

The auction will take place on September 25, 2016. The artist also provided a link to where fans can donate money to the parks and fountains fund.

(via NOLA.com)