It's ‘Pokémon for grown-ups' as iceberg-chasers hit Glandore

By Brian Moore

WHILE everyone seems to have gone mad chasing Pokémon, in Glandore it’s all about catching icebergs.

As part of the Skibbereen Arts Festival, artist John Kelly and curator Seol Park have created an art installation with a difference.  

The artwork, an Antarctic iceberg floating in Glandore harbor, is guaranteed not to melt, as this three-dimensional artwork is virtual and only visible through smart phones. Unlike Pokémon Go, however, this virtual reality image will not require you to chase after it.

The art installation, which is titled ‘En Plein Air In Plain Sight’, has been created to coincide with John Kelly’s Antarctic paintings on view at Uillinn, the West Cork arts centre.

This ‘Pokémon for grown-ups’, as it has been described, allows for a much more civilised interaction with the subject as it is recommended that you gather on the terrace outside the Glandore Inn and Hayes Bar. 

Here, with free wifi you will be able to download the gaz(AR) app, which will allow you to view the iceberg floating in the habour. 

If you don’t have a smart phone, there are two iPads available, courtesy of the Ludgate Hub, on the terrace area. You can also view the iceberg using 3G or 4G data from the Glandore Inn to the Harbour Yacht club and at the Glandore Marine Hotel.

Having downloaded the app you will then be able to save a screen shot of the iceberg in the harbour to your photos, and share this image on social media.