Dismaland

Dismaland
Date21 August – 27 September 2015
LocationWeston-super-Mare, Somerset, England
Coordinates51°20′27″N 2°58′58″W / 51.3409°N 2.9828°W / 51.3409; -2.9828
ThemeArt exhibition
Organised byBanksy
Websitewww.dismaland.co.uk
The 'Tropicana' swimming pool became 'Dismaland'

Dismaland was a temporary art project organised by street artist Banksy in the seaside resort of Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, England.[1] Prepared in secret, the pop-up exhibition at the Tropicana, a disused lido, was "a sinister twist on Disneyland" that opened during the weekend of 21 August 2015[2] and closed on 27 September 2015, 36 days later. Banksy described it as a "family theme park unsuitable for children."[3] The aesthetic of the "bemusement park" was potentially inspired by the "Dismayland" series of paintings created by American artist Jeff Gillette, who also participated in the exhibition.[4]

Banksy created ten new works and funded the construction of the exhibition himself. The show featured 58 artists of the 60 Banksy originally invited to participate. 4,000 tickets were available for purchase per day, priced at £3 each.[5] It received 150,000 visitors in the five-week period it was open. After it closed, the building material for the project was repurposed as shelters for refugees in the Calais Jungle where he also added murals.[6][7]

  1. ^ Morris, Steven (18 August 2015). "Banksy fans flock to Weston-super-Mare after Dismaland show rumours". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 August 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  2. ^ "Is Banksy about to open a new exhibition in Weston-super-Mare?". Bristol Post. 17 August 2015. Archived from the original on 19 August 2015.
  3. ^ "Banksy Dismaland show revealed at Weston's Tropicana – BBC News". BBC News. 20 August 2015. Archived from the original on 20 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  4. ^ Holmes, Kevin (28 June 2016). "Meet the 'Slumscape' Painter Who Inspired Banksy's Dystopian Theme Park". Vice. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  5. ^ Brown, Mark (20 August 2015). "Banksy's Dismaland: 'amusements and anarchism' in artist's biggest project yet". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 August 2015.
  6. ^ "Dismaland to be taken down and sent to Calais to build shelters". The Guardian. Press Association. 28 September 2015.
  7. ^ "Banksy adds Steve Jobs mural to refugee camp made from Dismaland remains". De Zeen. 18 December 2015.