Banksy’s newest British exhibition a grim parody of Disneyland’s image

Banksy, the famous yet unidentified British street artist has been at it since the 90s, “bombing” his artwork on London streets, Detroit buildings and West Bank walls.

He has displayed his “exhibitions” everywhere from the Louvre to the L.A. streets, where he painted an elephant red to highlight the incredible amount of people living below the poverty line.

The social and political commentary Banksy makes through his artwork has shocked, enraged and enlightened the public for over a decade.

His newest exhibition does nothing less.

It’s a theme park on the southwest coast of England, and the theme is doom and gloom — a grim parody of Disneyland, with dreary-looking rides, depressed employees garbed in Disney character costumes and carnival games that only cynics enjoy.

Banksy, along with over 50 other artists worked on Dismaland Bemusement Park for months; it was finally opened to the public on Aug. 22 and will remain so until Sept. 27, according to CNN arts reporter Allyssia Alleyne.

The cost? Five bucks.

The draw? “A chaotic new world where you can escape from mindless escapism,” reads Dismaland’s brochure.

The park and the art pieces inside stink of realism.

In contrast to Disney’s “It’s a wonderful life; You can do anything” message, Banksy’s artwork says bleakly, “Stop dreaming.”

Dismaland, like many of Banksy’s exhibitions, depicts scenes of chaos, poverty and destruction.

Some of the installations at the park include a dead Cinderella draped over the side of her crashed carriage, a run-down castle with a dirty moat and a painting of some of Disney’s bird characters soaring over landfills and broken city infrastructure.

Maybe Dismaland isn’t for the dreamers: the ones who are waiting for their fairy godmothers and glass slippers,  but its social commentary within does bring to light an interesting juxtaposition between wishful thinking and facing some hard realities about the state of the world.

Follow Hannah on Twitter @hannahlieck