Dismaland moves to Calais
September 28, 2015
"Coming soon…Dismaland Calais. All the timber and fixtures from Dismaland are being sent to the 'jungle' refugee camp near Calais to build shelters. No tickets will be available," Dismaland staff said in a statement on the website.
Around 5,000 refugees fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East and Africa have been camping in inhuman conditions in and around the French port for several months now.
Rundown tents and migrants were also a theme in the anarchic amusement park, which opened in August in Weston-Super-Mare, a town in southwest England.
The so-called "bemusement park" included a derelict castle, a skewed sculpture of Disney's mermaid Ariel, and a dead Cinderella hanging out of her carriage as the paparazzi looked on.
According to local officials, the park drew more than 150,000 people and brought 20 million pounds ($30 million) to Weston-Super-Mare, which had been struggling to attract visitors after tourism dropped in the seaside town.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, Banksy said his artwork was inspired by Christmas theme parks "where they stick some antlers on an Alsation dog" and spray fake snowflakes.
"It's ambitious but it's also crap…I think there's something very poetic and British about that," the elusive artist said.
mg/ rg (AP, AFP)