At Secret Wars: 1. Kim Watkins & Karen O’Mahony; 2. Rachel Heaney & Laura Bonner; 3. Jenny Jackson & Jenny Kelly. Pics. Richie Stokes.
A war descended on Dublin last weekend, as the city hosted its first ever Secret Wars battle in association with Bulmers Light. Artists from Dublin and London battled it out for the reputation of their respective cities, with Dublin taking the title on this occasion to the delight of the crowd.
A team of three artists flew over from London to battle three of Dublin’s finest, in The Bernard Shaw pub on Portobello Road and gave guests a night to remember with their impressive talent. This innovative art event was absolutely free and has been held all over the world in fashionable cities such as New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Moscow and now Dublin! Guests on the night included Secret Wars founder, Terry Guy, actress Abbey Smith and the UK No1 beatboxer Reeps1.
Normally held in the dark corners of the cities, artists gather with black paint markers to follow the simple rules of drawing live against each other for 90 minutes. However this Dublin battle replicated the 92 calories in a bottle of Bulmers Light and lasted 92 minutes for the first time.
The winner was decided by the reaction of the crowd and the votes of two judges on the battle pictures of the artists. Secret Wars has spawned into a very serious competition, attracting an increasing number of followers, reaching into all forms of media, through magazines, MySpace, Internet forums, blogs and other social networks. Both Kanye West and footballer Thierry Henry are known as keen followers of the event.
