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[Aske]

Guys, is Banksy an evil queen witch?

 

[FantasticMrFoxdie]

Here's a fuller review. Bear in mind there were about 1000 people there yesterday - that's half the number allowed in from today onwards, so when particular displays were busy today they'll be hellishly busy from now on in.

The venue

It's been 15 years since any of us were allowed into the Tropicana. It feels like progress to get in there at all - so, much credit to Banksy for that from grateful locals. It is in dreadful condition though.

Entrance and first impressions

I liked the fake security checkpoint. Everyone kept in character throughout and it was silly fun. I liked the always morose/depressed/miserable/moaning staff - it really worked on the contrary spirit in me, had a big broad smile on my face the whole way round. As you get out of security and into the main arena there's a van in the way selling souvenir programmes, and it all gets rather clogged up. Best to take a sharp right as soon as you are out of the security doors to avoid the crush. Once you've done that the overwhelming impression is that the whole thing is a load of tat.

That's deliberate of course (as can be seen by the sharp contrast with the indoor display space, which has been very well presented, but more of that later).

The central castle aside, though, it really doesn't feel like it is merely a Disney slag-off. Rather, it's a slag-off of theme parks/fairgrounds etc in general.

Bits that are difficult to get into:
- the museum of cruel things (or something like that) at the back right got massive queues very early on (and I was about the 200th person in) - I never did get in there, as I had to get back to the shop for the afternoon
- same goes for the circus tent thing at the far left. Didn't get in there either
- the bar. Not that it was particularly busy, but because it is on the roof. To find it turn sharp right from the entrance, follow signs for the toilets ("BOGS") and go up the stairs on the right. There's a good view from up there too.

General atmosphere of the exhibits: it's all very protest-y - anti establishment, anti-government, anti-tory anti an awful lot of things - with very little that's new or interesting from that point of view. Very late 1960s feel to much of it. That is, I gather, the in thing now - though it does come across rather extremely and irritatingly self-importantly preachy.

General atmosphere of the crowds: a lot of people having rather a lot of fun! There's lots to do and see and ride on and in and trip over and suchlike. A grand day out. It is warming to be with so many people enjoying themselves amidst such a gloomy atmosphere (which I suspect is a riff on Weston-super-Mare and decayed seaside resorts in general).

Odd things about the opening day particularly: There were a lot of TV crews around, and it was sometimes quite difficult to avoid getting in someone's shot by accident (that's how I accidentally reversed into a giant killer whale, which was something of a surprise).

Stuff in the outdoor arena

Working roughly anticlockwise from the entrance. I'm doing this from memory so I might miss some stuff out

- some tatty wooden constructions that aren't even nice to look at and I couldn't see the point of until later on I discovered the rooftop bar that you can work the puppets from - so I spent some time up there entertaining the folks below

- the pocket money payday loans thing. One of the few exhibits that made a relatively topical point in a fresh and interesting way. It is tiny though, you can only fit about 4 people inside. Contains the best poster in the whole exhibition, but I'm not telling you which one.

- Crazy golf. There might be some point to this other than just being a crazy golf course, but I'm not sure what it is. Spent some time trying to wind up the attendant. Failed dismally, but did par a few holes.

- big-ass sandcastle with windmill on top. Silly and fun. Also a sandpit for playing in, so go play in it like I did! Pointless just looking at it, it’s a sandpit.

- a tent containing an anarchist bookshop, some questionable statistics about deaths in police custody and a whole lot of posters for flyposting on the wall behind. I flyposted my own instead because, hey, it's not real flyposting if you only post what they say you can post.

- a giant scaffolding horse that you don't really notice from ground level. It's rather impressive if you climb up the steps at the back so you can see it properly.

- the museum of cruel things that I didn't get to see because of being too crowded.

- A fun-looking ferris wheel going round at about four times the usual speed. They wouldn't let me on it being as there is only one of me and I would apparently have unbalanced it and made it fall over.

- a little library with comfy chairs outside, good for a rest

- Punch and Judy with added Jimmy Savile. This *could* have been excellent but badly let down by the execution as (a) Julie Burchill has no sense of theatre or timing and (b) the performer was crap. Give that one a miss. Thank me afterwards.

- Video theatre (back left). Absolutely excellent video installations, and no better place to see them than sitting on deckchairs in the sun. Enjoyed v much.

- spoof fairground booths. A bit hit-and-miss – for example the catch the oil-stained-duck thing would have been pointed and relevant in 1968 but waste of space now. On the other hand, it is surprisingly good uninhibited fun trying to knock over an anvil with ping pong balls.

- that Ariel statue is very effective and weird. Catches your eye from all around and just meddles with the reality enough that you are drawn back to it.

- Cinderella coach crash is surprisingly effective. Given all the publicity I’d expected no more than a passing look, but the way the whole thing is laid out really adds to the experience, it is *very* well done and effective, but I won’t describe it any more here because spoilers.

- Killer whale/toilet/hoop meh, except it took me by surprise when I backed into it.

Plus, *lots* of places to just sit and enjoy, feed and water and so on.

Forgot to mention the sculptures. Brilliant picnic tables. The big truck thing is too damn big.

Indoor exhibition

Too much to do it all in detail, so highlights only. Maybe 80% of it didn’t do anything for me (but then, 80% of the Louvre doesn’t either). Too much is trite (ohh yeah, lets paint the cut ends of trees red so it looks like they are bleeding – that sort of trite, though a lot of it is very well executed.)

Death on a dodgem is fun and silly.

Damien fucking Hirst utterly spoils the second room. That rotating beach ball over knives looks nice enough, but the fan used to keep it up is too fucking loud.

Of the paintings, I got caught up in front of two big ones by Laura Lancaster. Wow. Chances are you’ll get caught up in front of something too, but it’ll be something different. There’s a *lot* of variety in there. Honourable mentions to Lee Madgwick and Caroline McCarthy and Joanna Pollonais and Jani Leinonen, thumbs down to a few others.

Don’t go out of the exit when you get to it or you will miss something special. Instead go through the unmarked door ahead of you to see Jimmy Cauty’s miraculous cityscape. I could have spent four or five hours in this room alone.

That’s all I can remember for now.

I’ll be going back again for sure. Probably a few times. Definitely at night.



Sure. PM me your name and address and I will mail you the souvenir programme.

Thanks for the review >_>
This sounds so awesome. I've been lurking hashtags of the place on Instagram and it looks like a good mindfuck.

 

[Mdk7]

Here's a fuller review. Bear in mind there were about 1000 people there yesterday - that's half the number allowed in from today onwards, so when particular displays were busy today they'll be hellishly busy from now on in.

The venue

It's been 15 years since any of us were allowed into the Tropicana. It feels like progress to get in there at all - so, much credit to Banksy for that from grateful locals. It is in dreadful condition though.

Entrance and first impressions

I liked the fake security checkpoint. Everyone kept in character throughout and it was silly fun. I liked the always morose/depressed/miserable/moaning staff - it really worked on the contrary spirit in me, had a big broad smile on my face the whole way round. As you get out of security and into the main arena there's a van in the way selling souvenir programmes, and it all gets rather clogged up. Best to take a sharp right as soon as you are out of the security doors to avoid the crush. Once you've done that the overwhelming impression is that the whole thing is a load of tat.

That's deliberate of course (as can be seen by the sharp contrast with the indoor display space, which has been very well presented, but more of that later).

The central castle aside, though, it really doesn't feel like it is merely a Disney slag-off. Rather, it's a slag-off of theme parks/fairgrounds etc in general.

Bits that are difficult to get into:
- the museum of cruel things (or something like that) at the back right got massive queues very early on (and I was about the 200th person in) - I never did get in there, as I had to get back to the shop for the afternoon
- same goes for the circus tent thing at the far left. Didn't get in there either
- the bar. Not that it was particularly busy, but because it is on the roof. To find it turn sharp right from the entrance, follow signs for the toilets ("BOGS") and go up the stairs on the right. There's a good view from up there too.

General atmosphere of the exhibits: it's all very protest-y - anti establishment, anti-government, anti-tory anti an awful lot of things - with very little that's new or interesting from that point of view. Very late 1960s feel to much of it. That is, I gather, the in thing now - though it does come across rather extremely and irritatingly self-importantly preachy.

General atmosphere of the crowds: a lot of people having rather a lot of fun! There's lots to do and see and ride on and in and trip over and suchlike. A grand day out. It is warming to be with so many people enjoying themselves amidst such a gloomy atmosphere (which I suspect is a riff on Weston-super-Mare and decayed seaside resorts in general).

Odd things about the opening day particularly: There were a lot of TV crews around, and it was sometimes quite difficult to avoid getting in someone's shot by accident (that's how I accidentally reversed into a giant killer whale, which was something of a surprise).

Stuff in the outdoor arena

Working roughly anticlockwise from the entrance. I'm doing this from memory so I might miss some stuff out

- some tatty wooden constructions that aren't even nice to look at and I couldn't see the point of until later on I discovered the rooftop bar that you can work the puppets from - so I spent some time up there entertaining the folks below

- the pocket money payday loans thing. One of the few exhibits that made a relatively topical point in a fresh and interesting way. It is tiny though, you can only fit about 4 people inside. Contains the best poster in the whole exhibition, but I'm not telling you which one.

- Crazy golf. There might be some point to this other than just being a crazy golf course, but I'm not sure what it is. Spent some time trying to wind up the attendant. Failed dismally, but did par a few holes.

- big-ass sandcastle with windmill on top. Silly and fun. Also a sandpit for playing in, so go play in it like I did! Pointless just looking at it, it’s a sandpit.

- a tent containing an anarchist bookshop, some questionable statistics about deaths in police custody and a whole lot of posters for flyposting on the wall behind. I flyposted my own instead because, hey, it's not real flyposting if you only post what they say you can post.

- a giant scaffolding horse that you don't really notice from ground level. It's rather impressive if you climb up the steps at the back so you can see it properly.

- the museum of cruel things that I didn't get to see because of being too crowded.

- A fun-looking ferris wheel going round at about four times the usual speed. They wouldn't let me on it being as there is only one of me and I would apparently have unbalanced it and made it fall over.

- a little library with comfy chairs outside, good for a rest

- Punch and Judy with added Jimmy Savile. This *could* have been excellent but badly let down by the execution as (a) Julie Burchill has no sense of theatre or timing and (b) the performer was crap. Give that one a miss. Thank me afterwards.

- Video theatre (back left). Absolutely excellent video installations, and no better place to see them than sitting on deckchairs in the sun. Enjoyed v much.

- spoof fairground booths. A bit hit-and-miss – for example the catch the oil-stained-duck thing would have been pointed and relevant in 1968 but waste of space now. On the other hand, it is surprisingly good uninhibited fun trying to knock over an anvil with ping pong balls.

- that Ariel statue is very effective and weird. Catches your eye from all around and just meddles with the reality enough that you are drawn back to it.

- Cinderella coach crash is surprisingly effective. Given all the publicity I’d expected no more than a passing look, but the way the whole thing is laid out really adds to the experience, it is *very* well done and effective, but I won’t describe it any more here because spoilers.

- Killer whale/toilet/hoop meh, except it took me by surprise when I backed into it.

Plus, *lots* of places to just sit and enjoy, feed and water and so on.

Forgot to mention the sculptures. Brilliant picnic tables. The big truck thing is too damn big.

Indoor exhibition

Too much to do it all in detail, so highlights only. Maybe 80% of it didn’t do anything for me (but then, 80% of the Louvre doesn’t either). Too much is trite (ohh yeah, lets paint the cut ends of trees red so it looks like they are bleeding – that sort of trite, though a lot of it is very well executed.)

Death on a dodgem is fun and silly.

Damien fucking Hirst utterly spoils the second room. That rotating beach ball over knives looks nice enough, but the fan used to keep it up is too fucking loud.

Of the paintings, I got caught up in front of two big ones by Laura Lancaster. Wow. Chances are you’ll get caught up in front of something too, but it’ll be something different. There’s a *lot* of variety in there. Honourable mentions to Lee Madgwick and Caroline McCarthy and Joanna Pollonais and Jani Leinonen, thumbs down to a few others.

Don’t go out of the exit when you get to it or you will miss something special. Instead go through the unmarked door ahead of you to see Jimmy Cauty’s miraculous cityscape. I could have spent four or five hours in this room alone.

That’s all I can remember for now.

I’ll be going back again for sure. Probably a few times. Definitely at night.



Sure. PM me your name and address and I will mail you the souvenir programme.

PM for you!

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

"Trailer" for Dismaland.

 

[Vodh]

Just challenging the presumption that anti-consumerist, anti-government art like his is profound in any sense.

"Edgy" is a simply a memephrase that people use as shorthand way to describe Banksy's art. That does not mean the criticism is without substance or merit.

If you're trying to say that using the word 'edgy' doesn't invalidate the criticism then sure, and I don't think anyone here disagrees.

If you're trying to argue that all those drive-by shitposts consisting of nothing but a one or two word permutation of 'edgy' are somehow constructive criticism full of substance and merit then I don't think those words mean what you think they mean. Slinging an insult and moving on is probably the purest example of criticism without any substance, and without the substance there's no way to know if there's any merit to that person's criticism.

 

[Bronx-Man]

My thoughts on the piece: I'm not entirely impressed by it. It lacks cohesiveness and only has tangibility to set it apart from other art works that go, "Guys what if Disney is like, reeeeeeeeeeeeally fucked up if you think about it".

Banksy could've done something that reflects about how Disney's imaging and branding shaped a lot of 20th Century America & the modern world with it. Like, how a nuclear family should look like and how they're enforced to welcome mass consumerism into their lives, what young girls should aspire from life and relationships, people being emotionally driven to giant corporations,etc. But no, focus on decayed castles and glitchy mermaids, because that's what art's about these days! Taking well-known symbols and going for the lowest hanging fruit possible!

That being said, the piece with Cinderella's body being surrounded by paparazzi is fantastic. Just really haunting and it does a nice job of tying in the fairytale culture that young Disney fans obsess with the celebrity culture that millions of grown-ass adults obsess with. I'd be lot more impressed with "Dismaland" if Banksy did more like that and tried to tighten up the focus of the piece instead of just a making a broad, general, cliched statement.

 

[Fink]

When I found out about this I couldn't help but laugh. To hear that someone made an intentionally bad amusement park and of all people it was Banksy. I think it would be a ton of fun to visit, too bad I don't live in the UK.

 

[Captain_Spanky]

Actually sort of annoyed because I applied for an artists residency that I'm interviewing for later this year with a similar (if different enough) idea. Then Banksy has to fucking pop up with this.

Really want to go though, looks loads of fun.

 

[ThePeoplesBureau]

Back from a day out at Dismaland. Had great fun, weather was exceptionally good (unheard of even during the summer here) which made it feel even more like an amusement park experience.

Also thanks to phisheep, who was bang on the money regarding the model village - it can be so easily missed, but is easily one of the greatest things you'll see at this or any exhibition. I went round it twice myself. If you go, the entrance is in line with the mushroom cloud w/rope ladder piece, just keep going and look for the black rubber strips in the doorway at the far wall (exit to outside is just on the right).

 

[AlexMeloche]

Wish I could go see this, I love those types of things. (I love all types of contemporary art really)

 

[phisheep]

Back from a day out at Dismaland. Had great fun, weather was exceptionally good (unheard of even during the summer here) which made it feel even more like an amusement park experience.

Also thanks to phisheep, who was bang on the money regarding the model village - it can be so easily missed, but is easily one of the greatest things you'll see at this or any exhibition. I went round it twice myself. If you go, the entrance is in line with the mushroom cloud w/rope ladder piece, just keep going and look for the black rubber strips in the doorway at the far wall (exit to outside is just on the right).

You got lucky with the weather! Glorious day. Glad I could be of help on the model village thing.

Now, a few people have messaged to ask how the ticketing/queueing is going. It looks like the first week's worth of tickets sold out in about 45 minutes, so booking ahead may be tricky. On the other hand I've had feedback from a few local customers who have managed to get in with on-the-door tickets from about lunchtime with only about 40 minutes queueing. Probably a bit early to tell being is this is the first week - but I'll keep an eye on it, and will likely attempt the queues myself on Sunday.

A few people have apparently been rather put off by CNN's (?) recent report - which wildly distorts the exhibition. It is not all about gay people and anal sex. Unless I missed something. Or a customer misrelayed something. Or something.

If you do find yourself at a loose end in Weston-super-Mare there's a fairly limited list of other things to do, being as it is a fairly ordinary run-down and tattered Victorian/Edwardian seaside resort. CHips and seagulls of course, but also ...

- sand sculpture festival. On the seafront about 300 yards north of Dismaland. £3.50 entrance. Open until 27th September same as Dismaland. Spectacular sandcastle building.

- for the lawyers among you there's Ellenborough Park (the source of the pivotal case in English land law Re Ellenborough Park [1956] Ch 131. Go north from Dismaland and turn right at the Seaquarium (about 200 yards). The western end of it is a designated site of special scientific interest, but I don't know why.

- For physicists, turn north halfway up Ellenborough Park and you'll walk past the house where Arthur Eddington grew up.

- If you are into hiking and history, and you have your own transport, go out to Brean Down. It's only about 1.5 miles southwest of Dismaland, but there's a river in the way and lots of wiggly roads. Huge staircase to climb, and a mile and a half hilly walk brings you to a disused Victorian gun emplacement (1848 I think) with all the barracks and warrens and tunnels that go with it. Then you get to walk all the way back. Best to do it around high tide so you get a good view across the bay. Looks almost like Naples if you squint a bit.

- the town museum was rather nice, but it's just closed for 2 years for refurbishment, so don't bother with that!

- Do the bomb trail. Weston advertised itself early in WWII with jolly holiday posters carrying the slogan "Weston doesn't know there's a war on". Unfortunately Herr Hitler got to hear about that. Now, Weston isn't especially architecturally interesting, but since it grew so fast it is fairly consistent. Everything on the hillside to the north is Victorian and stays that way to the town centre. From then on it is early Edwardian for a good few miles before merging into 1920s a mile south of Dismaland. So take a map, mark with an X every out of character building that you find, and you have the trail of incendiaries that hit the town in the raids 27-29 June 1942.

- the Grand Pier is a half-mile to the north of Dismaland. Burnt down in 2008 but completely replaced. Seaside fun for all.

- and if you get as far as the Grand Pier - head inland about 100 yards, turn right at Barclays bank and in about 50 yards you'll find an awesome bead shop with a phisheep in it!

- (nothing now remains of the D-Day rehearsals that were done here, except for one wall up on the hillside that got rammed by an American tank - but I can't remember exactly where it is)

To those who have asked for souvenir programmes, I only have the one and that's accounted for - it'll be on its way to LA shortly.

To those asking about accommodation, it should not be a problem at all. It's a seaside resort and has, like, zillions of little B&B places and hotels, and except when we have massive events (like 100,000 people - not the 4,000 a day for Banksy) there will be vacancies. If you are here and get stuck, pop into the shop and I'll try to help.

 

[31GhostsIV]

I'm currently enduring a monster hangover from an awesome night at Dismaland, watching RTJ with surprise support from Fatboy Slim. Really surreal seeing all of this in a place we last visited on a school trip 23 years ago!

 

[phisheep]

Failed (yeah, dismally) to get tickets yesterday. It wasn't too hard to get through to the buying screen, indeed several times, but four times the tickets got bought from under me because of me being too slow to type in payment details.

Pro-tip for next wednesday, have payment details ready to cut and paste, and don't try to do it one-handed on an iPad when serving in a busy shop!

On the bright side, my customers inform me that it is not too difficult to get in without a prebooked ticket at about 4pm weekdays, as the morning crowd have started to drift out by then.

 

[31GhostsIV]

Failed (yeah, dismally) to get tickets yesterday. It wasn't too hard to get through to the buying screen, indeed several times, but four times the tickets got bought from under me because of me being too slow to type in payment details.

Pro-tip for next wednesday, have payment details ready to cut and paste, and don't try to do it one-handed on an iPad when serving in a busy shop!

On the bright side, my customers inform me that it is not too difficult to get in without a prebooked ticket at about 4pm weekdays, as the morning crowd have started to drift out by then.

I thought tickets for the 25th would be up today, but they're not. Surely they're not going to sell them two days before the event?

Also Phi, as much as I despise Paypal, it secured me RTJ tickets without any problems, especially as my laptop autofills my login.

 

[phisheep]

I thought tickets for the 25th would be up today, but they're not. Surely they're not going to sell them two days before the event?

Don't quite know what is happening there. I'm kind of hoping they run the last few days as locals-only (being selfish there).

But I did manage to get tickets for the 24th, which is also my birthday, so I'm very happy with that.

 

[31GhostsIV]

Don't quite know what is happening there. I'm kind of hoping they run the last few days as locals-only (being selfish there).

But I did manage to get tickets for the 24th, which is also my birthday, so I'm very happy with that.

I noticed the 7pm thursday tickets went first, I wonder how many people just spotted the last entry on the calendar and didn't realise it wasn't the Friday?

Local - depends how it's defined. I'm a twenty minute drive away and was born in Weston's old hospital, will be gutted if I need to live in Weston to enter. I'm expecting another ticket sale, but perhaps on Monday?

 

[phisheep]

Last 3 days of tickets go on sale online at 10am Saturday.

 

[31GhostsIV]

Just endured 45 minutes of browser refreshes for nothing. I had tickets, and while I was paying with Paypal they somehow sold out, which is pretty shitty. How is someone else able to buy tickets while i'm in the middle of paying for them?

So, glad I was fortunate enough to see RTJ, and at least Massive Attack aren't playing, to ease the gutted feeling (would have loved to see DJ Premier though, Gang Starr's best of album was a university hi fi fixture).

Oh well, i'm sure the place will be full of important celebrities that Banksy seems to be willing to bend over and accommodate, ironically.

 

[phisheep]

I'll be back in there this evening for the last time.

Quite happy to buy a stack of souvenir programmes if anybody wants one - will only charge cost+shipping. Everyone who has PM'd me already is accounted for.

PM by 17:30 BST today if you want one.

Will follow up with review of the bits I didn't see last time (if I manage to get into them this time!).

 

[Fudgepuppy]

So we've gotten to the point when Banksy is too well known to be street?

His stuff is accessible and relatable, so of-course he will be well known amongst regular people.

 

[daviyoung]

So we've gotten to the point when Banksy is too well known to be street?

His stuff is accessible and relatable, so of-course he will be well known amongst regular people.

Banksy has been a household name for about 10 yrs