bear bicycles @ Gallery Number One -- matte red Dutch bicycle
Digital marketing agency Ebow may primarily be an expert in the digital world, but that does not mean it has forgotten about the physical world.
To build a bridge between ‘offline’ and ‘online’, Ebow has set up a portal; a wormhole connecting the world wide web to earth. Through it, online businesses warp their products into the real world. And this spring, the wormhole is warping Dutch bicycles – in matte pink, gold, green, red, and fuchsia. Where is this wormhole? It’s right here, in Dublin’s Gallery Number One.
The Gallery – with its big windows, QR codes and art – is the brainchild of Ebow’s owner, David Douglas. He describes the Gallery as his ‘digital playground’. The centerpiece of the Gallery is a 6 square foot close up of Tom Waits; hiding under his hat, hands with outstretched fingers next to his face, the beginning of a grin on his lips — like he’s playing hide and seek with his audience. The rest of the Gallery is filled with art by Matthew Knight – a young artist from Belfast who got inspiration for his art when living in Amsterdam. Knight’s most remarkable piece is a yellow Statoil jerry can. On it, the artist painted a bloated green gherkin on a tricycle. The gherkin has a cowboy hat and revolver, and it shoots you a look that leaves you unsure whether you should run away or give it a hug.
The rest of the Gallery is filled with Dutch bicycles and delivery bicycles, brought to Dublin by bear. Bear is a bicycle company from Amsterdam, that set up an online shop in Dublin last August. Via their website, bear aims to sell high quality Dutch bikes at the lowest possible price. Recently, bear launched its ‘Embrace the Spring’ bicycle exhibition in the Gallery, to mark the beginning of its ‘Cycle the Seasons’ campaign. Bear will be releasing a new, distinct Dutch bicycle for each season, starting with their matte green spring bike (bear won’t say what colours are still to come). Bear notes their bikes are suitable for all seasons, saying their “spring bike will also work in winter”.
Last Friday, the art, photo and bike exhibition opened with a launch party. The Gallery space was quickly filled, people walked around or stood chatting outside. Ebow had chosen to serve sunny Sol beers; a sign summer is coming and winter is still far, far away.
Ebow serving Sol at the bear bicycles launch party
David Douglas checking out a delivery bike by bear
a delivery bicycle and a kiss
matte green bicycle, safely suspended above child's head
dutch bicycles in fuchsia
chatting outside
Tom Waits (right) and delivery bike (left)
a lady and a matte pink bicycle
STATOIL, gherkin, tricycle
photos by Elena Hermosa
Hey Guys!
Love the blog and the photos. The launch was a great success and the bicycles are fantastic…well done to all involved,
Dave.