Damien Hirst and Massive Attack revealed as collaborators for Banksy's twisted theme park
by Alice Davis | 20 Aug 2015
Dismaland's website shows a site plan and details of 18 attractions / dismaland.co.uk
Rumours that urban artist Banksy is behind a pop-up visitor attraction in Weston-super-Mare, England, were given further credence today (20 August) as Dismaland’s website went live, revealing a cavalcade of counter-culture contributors.
Dismaland, a twisted version of a Disney theme park, has been installed at the town’s Tropicana lido, which has been derelict since 2000.
According to the website, hosted at dismaland.co.uk, “Dismal Land is a festival of art, amusements and entry-level anarchism” running for the next five weeks. It promises to be cheaper than the average family day out, with an admission charge of £3 (US$4.70, €4.20) and tickets available to book online from tomorrow (Friday) and available on the door.
A long list of participating contemporary artists from around the world is detailed on the website, including famed BritArt pioneer Damien Hirst and scaffolding sculptor Ben Long. Banksy, whose real identity is unknown, is a subversive graffiti artist with a cult following across the globe.
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Dismaland attractions include “Mini Gulf”, “Guerilla Island” and “Cinderella’s Castle”. Live comedy and music is also planned, with the band Massive Attack (from nearby Bristol) and Russian feminist punk act Pussy Riot among those set to play in the coming weeks.
A soft opening is slated for Friday (21 Augusr) for people from the local area, while Banksy fans are queuing overnight to get tickets in the morning.
Anyone planning to visit the attraction should note that the website’s small print states that Dismaland strictly prohibits entry to “legal representatives of the Walt Disney Corporation.”
18 Aug 2015
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Rumours that urban artist Banksy is behind a pop-up visitor attraction in Weston-super-Mare, England, were given further credence today (20 August) as Dismaland’s website went live, revealing a cavalcade of counter-culture contributors. Dismaland, a twisted version of a Disney theme park, has been installed at the town’s Tropicana lido, which has been derelict since 2000. According to the website, hosted at dismaland.co.uk, “Dismal Land is a festival of art, amusements
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