There is great excitement in our town of Weston-super-Mare as the graffiti artist Banksy opened a surprise exhibition called Dismaland Bemusement Park. No-one round here knew anything very much about it – rumours were spread that the activity in the abandoned Tropicana swimming pool on the sea front was to do with a film which was being made. Since the news broke on Thursday (20th August) there has been tremendous publicity about it and people have flown in from all over the world to visit. We haven’t gone yet, but we intend to do so.
Banksy isn’t the solo artist there are nearly sixty others who have contributed, from all over the world including the USA, Canada, Egypt, Syria, Portugal and Lithuania. I understand that Dismaland is a seaside fair like no other… Here is a link to what you can see there:
http://www.dismaland.co.uk/map/
… as the site says: ‘ Dismal Land – a festival of art, amusements and entry-level anarchism. Are you looking for an alternative to the sugar-coated tedium of the average family day out? Or just somewhere a lot cheaper? Then this is the place for you. Bring the whole family to come and enjoy the latest addition to our chronic leisure surplus… ‘
Having read a lot about it, and seen photos, I have begun to see Dismaland everywhere, as my featured photo shows! The exhibition is being haled locally as a great way to bring tourists to our town and area, but I’m afraid it might rebound and Weston itself will be seen as Dismaland. It has rained non-stop since it opened, there was a train strike on Sunday, and the ticketing part of the website crashed and won’t be running until tomorrow. Apparently a man dressed as a golfer was seen vomiting in the town centre… ‘oh’, said people ‘part of Dismaland’ … More likely to be just part of Weston…
The rubble-strewn site of the new shopping centre… supposed to have been completed two years ago…
The Tropicana pre-Dismaland… abandonned for over twenty years, neglected and empty, the listed (protected) diving boards had to betaken down because the concrete rotted…
Lois Elsden 