A Pokemon Statue in a New Orleans Park

In an homage to the Pokemon Go craze that erupted in July 2016, someone placed a giant Pikachu statue in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans atop of dilapidated fountain. The 5-foot tall Pikachu (made of fiberglass, but painted to look like brass) instantly became a tourist attraction with photos shared across the world. Then, two weeks later it mysteriously disappeared and in its place was a barcode. When scanned on a smartphone, it took users to a website, which explained: “Overwhelmed and touched doesn’t begin to describe what the response has meant to us. Pokemonument was never conceived to be a permanent installation. We would like to use that positive momentum to bring about a larger more permanent change for our community. We have donated Pokemonument to the Coliseum Square Association to be auctioned off to help fund the restoration of the fountains in the park.” (Source 1 | Source 2) & Via Oddee