Reviews

Banksy Dismaland review at Bemusement Park in Weston-super-Mare

Posted on: 2015-08-28

Every inch of Dismaland was thought through to make it as dismal as possible. Expect queues, expect rude staff, and expect chilly evenings. But would it be Dismal without them? 5/5

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Aside from a lot of unnecessary kafuffle and confusion around different queues outside the Bemusement Park Dismaland, we didn’t have to queue for long before we were being ushered in by dismal and miserable looking stewards grumpily telling us to “please hurry along”. From this moment we knew that Banksy had really taken the theme (excuse the pun) seriously, and we soon realised that it really would be a dismal evening, and not just because of the chilly weather.

I presume this is why Banksy chose the South Western coastal town that is Weston Super-Mare as his location of choice; with its muddy, chilly reputation. And the evening opening hours made it even more dismal with its ever-creeping darkness (although the sunset was not so dismal – particularly from the top of the Ferris wheel). Every inch of Dismaland was thought through to make it as dismal as possible. We entered through some cardboard cartoon-style airport metal detectors, greeted by some more annoyed-looking staff, one of whom angrily asked my friend if she was smiling, and proceeded.

Central to the Bemusement Park was the run down and rusted familiar Disney castle, as you’d never seen it before, with its torn flags flapping in the wind, surrounded by more other dismal installations, enough to put anyone in a miserable mood. To detail even half of what Dismaland entails would be to bore you with an essay, which I will not do (although even still – there is a lot to say). But do not be fooled into thinking that everything is just like what you know of Banksy from his street art, partly because his name is not the only name in the credits to Dismaland. In fact, the website lists 59 different artists involved in Dismaland, so the art itself is an eclectic mix of styles and formats from ironic sculptures, to conventional (but at the same time unconventional, of course) artwork on a gallery wall, to a tent full of activist posters, to witty kiosks like the Pocket Money Loan place, and an outdoor cinema with lots of mini feature films.

Expect queues, expect rude staff, and expect chilly evenings. But would it be Dismal without them? There is, however a bar dressed with fairy lights under a canopy, which isn’t at all dismal, and is actually pretty cute and cosy for eating and drinking some less than dismal pizza and beer under – or hot chocolate, if you’d prefer.

As with everything associated with Banksy, there is a message. Though at Dismaland there are several, since there are so many collaborators involved, which is nice since the visitor is offered many different opinions and messages from different viewpoints and in aid of many different causes. I visited with five friends, and many of the art within the more conventional ‘gallery’ section left us all discussing and pondering what the meaning behind it may be, some things we didn’t come to a conclusion about at all. But in a way I think a lot of what Banksy does isn’t made to come to conclusions on, but more to ponder and consider. But overriding, it seems he is making a point about consumerism, and the damaging effects of it both to us as people, to the wider world, and politically too.

Messages were even hidden in the most simple of features within the Park. A security woman chatted to me cheerily as I waited for my friends in the toilet (dismal portaloos). I said to her “so you don’t have to be dismal then?” She explained to me that the idea is that roles were reversed to go entirely against the bubbly happy-clappy personalities of staff at Disneyland locations across the world, and the stern nature of the security at such places. “It’s quite nice to be able to be happy for once”, she said, drawing comparisons to her normal security job.

And the roles really were reversed. One of the workers said to my friend miserably, “What’s been your favourite part of Dismaworld today?” And as my friend thought about it and opened his mouth to answer, she said, “Don’t tell me. I don’t care.” Credit to the people working at Dismaworld – they’d have a successful career in acting, for sure.

As it gets dark at Dismaland, the Bemusement Park is equally as dismal, but is a different experience, and all the features are well adapted to the different lights to make it equally as interesting and entertaining.  We spent a good 3 hours there, and even then we hadn’t fully spent time on everything – though the Ferris Wheel is pretty darn fun (and I have to admit, slightly scary!!), and there’s also mini golf. There’s something for all ages, as Banksy often is, but some parts may creep your children out a tad if they’re slightly timid, such as the Grim Reaper riding around in the dark on a dodgem car. But there aren’t many things creepy like this, and in general whatever age or type of person you are, there’ll be something at Dismaland for you, albeit dismal in nature.

Banksy (and all 58 other artists), you’ve done it again.

5/5

Reviewed by Maria Skinner for 365Bristol - the leading events and entertainment website for Bristol

Also check out our Banksy Bristol Walking Tour - click here.

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