In the past decade, the tendency of pop culture aggregators to gravitate toward the tried and true influence of Disney has plateaued with satirists like Saint Hoax and has now, at last, reached its apex with Banksy’s send-up of the Dinsneyworld juggernaut, Dismaland (Disney, dismal–get it?).
Nestled in the resort town of Somerset in the United Kingdom (which might have sooner accepted a “real” amusement park than France), the array of grim and tongue-in-cheek displays at Dismaland are artworks by the likes of Jenny Holzer, Mike Ross and Polly Morgan. But the entire spectacle is decidedly Banksy.
From jibes like “The Big Rig Jig,” which showcases a tower of mangled gas trucks post-accident, to Cinderella crashed in her pumpkin carriage with the paparazzi there to document the scene, no stone is left unturned on the sardonic Disney landscape. It’s almost like Shrek meets The Onion (because, you know, everything needs to be compared in a century of no new ideas).
Unlike the Disney theme parks, however, Dismaland is extremely affordable (a mere $5 per ticket). But alas, the exhibit is just that, and will close its doors on September 27th. With roughly 4,000 people being admitted a day, it’s likely the experience might actually be more hellacious than a trip to Celebration, Florida. You might be better off just living vicariously through others’ Instagram posts. A dismal thought indeed.
