Dismaland
The street artist Banksy has brought together over 50 international artists to create a new theme park in a derelict lido in Weston-super-Mare, previously called the Tropicana. The theme park or ‘bemusement park’ as he calls it, mixes the language of fairgrounds, fantasy castles and holidays with a darker reality.
Your familiar amusements have been subverted. The hook-a-duck stall is now a ‘pluck-a-duck-from-the-muck’. The muck is an oil slick and if you win you can take away a fish finger in a plastic bag. Migrants, looking to make a desperate crossing, now occupy the remote control boats. Not all of them have made it. A woman sitting on a bench is attacked by seagulls, for probably rustling a small piece of paper, and the paddling pool fountain is now an armour plated water cannon vehicle previously from Northern Ireland.
You can buy a balloon with ‘I am an imbecile’ on it from the dismal seller if she can be bothered to talk to you that is, or sit in a deck chair and watch the outside cinema with a selection of artists film. The rusting fairytale castle is full of paparazzi snapping the dying princess in her upturned pumpkin carriage.
Inside one of the darkened galleries the dodgems are looking pretty run down. A Jenny Holzer sign flashes. The Blue Oyster Cults classic 1976 tune ‘Don’t fear the Reaper’ starts up and emerging from behind a corrugated iron wall comes Banksy’s ‘Grim Reaper’ driving a bumper car with his scythe pointing skyward. James Joyce’s ‘Here for a Good Time, not a Long Time’, is a rotating animation of the acid smiley face that tosses the eyes and smile round like a washing machine. Damien Hirst’s beach ball is levitated on a jet of air just above a bed of sharp carving knives.
Jimmy Cauty’s hand-crafted miniature world, which is actually pretty massive, brings the model village up to date with ‘a town frozen in the moments just after a huge period of civil unrest.’ The blue lights are still flashing across the landscape as the police take a break in the Burger King.
Back outside again, Banksy’s glitching Mermaid sculpture sited in the old paddling pool reminds us how much technology has changed the way we see the world through digital screens. When was the last time you saw snowstorm interference or rolling on your TV? We now have new interference to replace our old.
Next to an oversized sandcastle with a windmill on top, presumably to attract the children, there is a trade stand selling ‘Payday Loans 4 Kids’ to help them get an advance on their pocket money.
The porter loos are signed ‘Bogs’ in Dismaland. Maybe as I was visiting on the first day they had not had time to find their full dismalness yet.
Although Banksy has brought this dismalness into one venue, the themes are commonplace and the aesthetic familiar. On the beach outside the venue is a stall flogging plastic wares to tourists. It’s adorned with a large skull and crossbones flag and sports a plastic owl on the end of a pole.
Long live Dismaland!
Stephen Monger is an OCA tutor, and lucky enough to get a free ticket for the ‘locals’ preview.
10 thoughts on “Dismaland”
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This had to happen sooner or later. The TRUTH that is, about our fickle sick society. A work of brilliance in my mind. I hope I can get there soon. This would mean more to me than a visit to any fun fair or theme park. Disney for old grumpies. Excellent.
I have tried to get a ticket but the site was down; I understand it is due to reopen and was only closed because of the demand! Someone commented that the site not selling tickets was another example of dismalness but this was not intended. The news has been full of it with repeated showings on BBC South West. As with Banksy’s exhibition in Bristol a few years ago, the numbers of people wanting to visit is phenomenal. What is the appeal? Satire aimed at corporate and in particular US culture perhaps.
There’s a thread in the coffee shop on this as well and I think he’s really clever,even manipulative but perhaps that is too strong a word. This work and his film ‘Exit through the Gift Shop’ to me, is more a commentary on mob culture and how hype is a contagion. As mentioned the website crashed from people trying to get on it, local queues were miles long, it’s called Dismaland, it’s exactly what it says on the tin and we still flock! It’s almost as if he’s the puppet master and we’re the pawns in his game, I kind of don’t want to go for that reason. I appreciate what he does and I like much of his work but it’s easier to like when the satire is aimed at the ‘establishment’ it’s not so funny when the joke’s on us. Maybe I’m just a cynic!
I have always admired those that do things, and Banksy has brought the work of over 50 international artists to a place that is not often on the contemporary art tourist list. The show has obviously taken a huge amount of planning and it was kept completely secret. Locally the cover story was it’s a film set, and I understand only four people knew on the council. If you are a street artist, then you need to find alternative sites to show your work and this disused pool was a great choice.
As a street artist, who’s maybe outside the canon of art, it’s interesting to see a Banksy next to some other contemporary artists. Does his work compete? Well if you take the whole show as a performance, a collective event, a day out that you have to queue for and maybe it’s raining too, then I think this stands up. You don’t really want to see Banksy in the Tate, do you?
Looks a fascinating event. There is that small part of me though that feels sad because, even in Dismaland, people need something idyllic sometimes, even when it’s fantasy. I’m thinking Maslow I guess.
Captures the mood of “broken Britain” and locating it in somewhat dismal WSM is clever. Spent over 4 hours there. Great photo opportunities and an inspiring day out. Good to see so much irreverence and cynicism. I got told off for smiling !
I admire the enterprise, particularly the subversion of the Bilbao effect to stimulate localised urban / peripheral regeneration through art and, subsequently, drawing photographers (note Martin Parr slinging his camera along!) to disseminate the publicity of this twice-hyper-real event. I admire Banksy using his name to this end. How ‘establishment’ can he be? Almost surpasses Greyson Perry. I also admire the trashing of the veneration of the hyper-real but, does it point us to valuing Banksy’s graffiti as an alternative? Great concept.
Sadly can’t get there but delighted by the cleverness of the social and political statements it appears to be making. Think there might be a place for dismal poetry as well. Maybe a visit should be compulsory for every Creative Arts Today student.
There’s definitely a place for dismal poetry – see the work of Wasted Rita.
Wasted Rita? her words are dismal but I’m not sure they are poetry.