Banksy’s Dismaland

The castle’s derelict, Cinderella’s pumpkin has crashed, and the seagulls are on the attack … Banksy has opened a theme park called Dismaland at a disused lido in Weston-super-Mare. The show has been shrouded in secrecy for weeks, and locals had been led to believe it was a film set for a Hollywood thriller. After a series of surprise pop-up stalls all over New York City in 2013, Banksy is back to work and up to his old tricks again. The subversive artist’s latest project is a “bemusement park” called Dismaland, located in an abandoned swimming pool in North Somerset, U.K. The park, which is geared toward those “looking for an alternative to the sugar-coated tedium of the average family day out,” opened its gates to the public on August 22, and offers eighteen dismal attractions like a decrepit version of Cinderella’s castle and artworks, and a sculpture of a woman being attacked by birds. While Dismaland features a few Banksy fan favorites, such as the Grim Reaper on a bumper car, the theme park mainly showcases the work of 50 other artists, including Damien Hirst, David Shrigley, Jenny Holzer, and Mike Ross. Dismaland will also play host to a series of concerts, including Pussy Riot and Massive Attack on September 25. Take a look at the dystopian theme park below.

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