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Anonymous art world provocateur Banksy isn't afraid of making a subversive statement. His latest magnum opus? A sprawling and darkly surreal "bemusement park" that turns the notion of a family-friendly trip to the seaside completely on its head.
Dismaland, billed as the "UK's most disappointing visitor attraction", is based in the disused former Tropicana lido on the Weston-super-Mare seafront, and serves up a whole host of cartoonishly macabre installations from artists including Damien Hirst and Jenny Holzer.
Like a macabre inversion of Disneyland, you can wander past a fire-ravaged fairytale castle, stare at a Cinderella pumpkin carriage crash and share a trip on the dodgems with the Grim Reaper.
Alternatively, you can treat yourself to an "I am an imbecile" balloon or enjoy a Punch and Judy show rewritten for modern times -- including references to disgraced entertainer Jimmy Savile and Fifty Shades of Grey. Staffed by heroically depressed-looking stewards in hi-vis pink jackets and Mickey Mouse ears, Dismaland promises less "thrills and spills" and more gallows-humour grotesque.
The 2.5-acre pop-up show will run until 27 September, with tickets costing £3 for admission.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
