Banksy, the elusive street artist who has mocked society for over a decade now, has come up with his biggest project ever in Weston-super-Mare, UK. His new installation, Dismaland, is a dystopian ‘bemusement park’ looking a lot like Disneyland after the nuclear apocalypse, or seen through the distorted glasses of the famous street artist.
Dismaland is advertised as the UK’s most disappointing new visitor attraction, and is filled with anti-consumerism and anti-corporate art installations, with a focus on Disneyland of course. The park will be open from August 22nd to September 25th and the few pictures which have surfaced are hilarious, revealing a tumbledown Disneyland-like castle, and other macabre artworks from no less than 50 artists including Damien Hirst, Bill Barminski, Caitlin Cherry, Polly Morgan, Josh Keyes, Mike Ross, David Shrigley, Bäst, and Espo, beside Banksy’s own artwork.
Julie Burchill, the UK’s most controversial writer, has written the script for the “Punch And Judy” puppet show. According to the Guardian: “Banksy had the suggestion that Mr Punch resemble Jimmy Savile,” she told The Telegraph. “Mr Punch very much resembles him.”
An extract of Burchill’s script in the Dismaland programme shows Punch saying: “with my motley and my jester’s hat and my chub just like a gavel / Perhaps I might remind you of Bad Boy Jimmy Savile?”
‘Are you looking for an alternative to the soulless sugar-coated banality of the average family day out? Or just somewhere cheaper. Then this is the place for you—a chaotic new world where you can escape from mindless escapism. Instead of a burger stall, we have a museum. In place of a gift shop we have a library, well, we have a gift shop as well.
Bring the whole family to come and enjoy the latest addition to our chronic leisure surplus—a bemusement park. A theme park who’s big theme is: theme parks should have bigger themes…
This event contains adult themes, distressing imagery, extended use of strobe lighting, smoke effects and swearing. The following items are strictly prohibited: knives, spraycans, illegal drugs, and lawyers from the Walt Disney corporation,’ says the event’s official brochure…
A good thing they mention the lawyers, but cheaper than Disneyland? Certainly, the admission is only £3 and even has a connection with music: Dismaland will include live performances every Friday night, and the lineup is excellent! Massive Attack, Run the Jewels, Pussy Riot,… this one is definitively not for children.
