Banksy has made a name for himself and is now hailed as one of the giants of progressive street art. His infamous, controversial, and polarizing exhibit “Dismaland” has since attracted both the admiration of die-hard fans and the criticism of the art intelligentsia.
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The Calais camp now houses roughly 5,000 refugees, mostly from East Africa and the Middle East. Banksy built the dystopian theme park at a rundown outdoor pool to mock the entertainment industry in part, but despite notable Disney references, he said Disneyland wasn’t his real target.
Now that Dismaland has reached it’s conclusion, Banksy extends the project’s involvement with the refugee crisis from fostering social awareness, to achieving social action.
Following a run in England, Banksy’s massive conceptual art installation, dubbed Dismaland came to an end over the weekend… and is moving locations. A note on the Dismaland website now reads: “All the timber and fixtures from Dismaland are being sent to the “jungle” refugee camp near Calais to build shelters”. Featuring a ruined fairytale castle, a crashed Cinderella coach and miserable stewards wearing Mickey Mouse ears, the “bemusement park” was created to satirise commercialised tourist attractions.
A statement posted on the website on Sunday says: “Coming soon… No online tickets will be available”.
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A concert at Dismaland on Friday night featured performances by U.S. hip-hop group De La Soul, Russian feminist rock group Pussy Riot and Damon Albarn, the singer with the British alternative rock band Blur.
