June 20 to August 31, 2022
Elephant chess sculpture helps create magic trail across Belfast city centre
 Kingside view of Brendan Jamison's Chess Elmer, installed in Belfast city centre on Saturday June 18, 2022
Brendan Jamison has created a chess-themed charity sculpture for the NI Hospice in a special city-wide art spectacle this summer.
From June 20 to August 31, the public can download the 'Elmer Belfast' app and hunt for the 70 uniquely designed Elmer elephants, appearing all across Belfast to form the city's biggest-ever public art trail.
The NI Hospice states:
"With a blaze of colour and creativity, Elmer and his friends bring a ton of fun and laughter to our local area. After what has been a difficult time for everyone, this Trail is a chance for the whole community to come together to recover, heal and have some fun! This free outdoor walking trail will provide a much-needed boost to everyone’s wellbeing and the local economy."
Artist Brendan Jamison said, “it has been an honour to work on this project to help raise funds and awareness about the incredible work done by the Northern Ireland Hospice. Every year, over 4000 babies, children and adults receive special end-of-life care from the NI Hospice. The work they do is amazing, no cancer charity is more deserving of our support. Long may they continue to do such vital work for our local communities.”
Jamison’s sculpture is located outside the skyscrapers of the BT Tower and Hilton Hotel at Lanyon Plaza. The piece was sponsored by KPMG and is accompanied by a short text on the artist’s concept:
“The game of chess originated in India in the 7th Century, a country renowned for its respect for elephants, not only aiding the construction industry but also playing a key role in special ceremonies whereby the elephant is adorned in vibrant colours. ‘Chess Elmer’ celebrates the richness of this culture in a fun and playful fashion, imbuing the optimism and magic of colour. Pink chess pieces move across green fields in a chequered landscape, under a bright blue sky and the warm glow of a yellow sun, radiating beams of happiness out into the world.”
The NI Hospice outlines how “the Trail is open to everyone and we hope that as many people as possible will explore all or parts of the fully accessible trail over the summer. You can pick up a copy of a beautifully hand-illustrated map at key town centre locations across Belfast or use the official Trail app to help you explore. Download the 'Elmer Belfast' app from the App Store or Google Play for FREE. It will show you the location of each Elmer and the herds of small Elmers, along with information about our Official Partners, Sponsors and artists. Each Elmer will have a unique app code. Once you tap the code into your mobile device, it will reveal some exciting rewards for you to download.”
When their time in Belfast has ended the Herd will travel across Northern Ireland, stopping off for the weekend in Ballymena, Derry/Londonderry, Newry and Enniskillen and arriving back to Belfast for a final farewell on Saturday 8th October 2022.
And after entertaining and bringing people together, the legacy of Elmer’s Big Belfast Trail continues as many of the sculptures will be auctioned to raise vital funds for the Northern Ireland Hospice.
Front view of Brendan Jamison's Chess Elmer, Belfast, June 2022
 
July 25, 2022: Left to right: Dominic Mudge, Partner at KPMG, Shauny Shields, Corporate Fundraiser at Northern Ireland Hospice and Brendan Jamison
Artist Brendan Jamison painting his Chess Elmer in May 2022
Artist Brendan Jamison with his Chess Elmer, Thursday June 23, 2022
Queenside view of Brendan Jamison's Chess Elmer, installed in Belfast city centre on Saturday June 18, 2022. Acrylic over fibreglass, 110 x 129 x 68 cm
Queenside view of Brendan Jamison's Chess Elmer, installed in Belfast city centre on Saturday June 18, 2022.
Acrylic over fibreglass, 110 x 129 x 68 cm
Rear sunshine view of Brendan Jamison's Chess Elmer, installed in Belfast city centre on Saturday June 18, 2022. Acrylic over fibreglass, 110 x 129 x 68 cm
Front view of Brendan Jamison's Chess Elmer, installed in Belfast city centre on Saturday June 18, 2022. Acrylic over fibreglass, 110 x 129 x 68 cm
 Lakeside view of Ciaran Magill's Mountain Forest Elmer, installed in Belfast city centre on Saturday June 18, 2022. Acrylic over fibreglass, 110 x 129 x 68 cm
Lakeside view of Ciaran Magill's Mountain Forest Elmer, installed in Belfast city centre on Saturday June 18, 2022. Acrylic over fibreglass, 110 x 129 x 68 cm
Tree side view of Ciaran Magill's Mountain Forest Elmer, installed in Belfast city centre on Saturday June 18, 2022. Acrylic over fibreglass, 110 x 129 x 68 cm
Tree side view of Ciaran Magill's Mountain Forest Elmer, installed in Belfast city centre on Saturday June 18, 2022. Acrylic over fibreglass, 110 x 129 x 68 cm
Front view of Ciaran Magill's Mountain Forest Elmer, installed in Belfast city centre on Saturday June 18, 2022. Acrylic over fibreglass, 110 x 129 x 68 cm
Lakeside view of Ciaran Magill's Mountain Forest Elmer, installed in Belfast city centre on Saturday June 18, 2022. Acrylic over fibreglass, 110 x 129 x 68 cm
Front view of Rachel Devlin's Elmer and the Butterflies, installed in Belfast city centre on Saturday June 18, 2022. Acrylic over fibreglass, 110 x 129 x 68 cm
Left view of Rachel Devlin's Elmer and the Butterflies, installed in Belfast city centre on Saturday June 18, 2022. Acrylic over fibreglass, 110 x 129 x 68 cm
Right side view of Amira McDonagh's Elmer, installed at Belfast's Titanic Quarter on Saturday June 18, 2022. Acrylic over fibreglass, 110 x 129 x 68 cm
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