Along with main attractions (covered) of the fairground such as the game of tipping an anvil with a ping pong ball, sculptures and installations by Banksy scattered around the site, Dismaland has a large art gallery. Obviously, we’re not talking about the white cube kind of presentation, which is referenced by the ruined white walls in the main space, but still, this exhibition “comprise the finest collection of contemporary art ever assembled in a North Somerset seaside town.”
The gallery show begins with Jenny Holzer’s electronic road signs right next to Andreas Hykade’s drawing desk installation. Grim Reaper in a bumper car, first seen during Banksy’s New York residency 2 years ago (covered), is welcoming visitors in this same space with it’s little dance. Across massive packaging installation by Caroline McCarthy who created a little floral heaven from cardboard packages and pots. The main room opens with a large piece by Damien Hirst, showing a colorful beach ball hoovering above razor sharp knifes. Around this captivating piece are prints and original works by Josh Keyes, amusing photographs by Brock Davis, fantastic hyper-detailed paintings by Jeff Gillette, as well as Barry Reigate large canvases.
The next part of the gallery space is reserved for Paco Pomet’s black humor, Zaria Forman’s statements about global warming, Jessica Harrison tattooed ceramic dolls as well as Kate MacDowell porcelain figures. The middle of the room is hosting an effective sculpture by Dietrich Wegner showing an atomic bomb mushroom that seem to host a tree house in its very top, just across a carved up anatomy merry go round horse by Maskull Laserre.
The final part is reserved for couple of new canvases by the curator of this show, Banksy, right next to works by Sami Musa and Neta Harari Navon. The biggest canvas shows a mother and a little girl enjoying a day on the beach unaware of a enormous garbage filled wave coming over them. Next to this piece is a small sculptural work showing a little hummingbird sucking nectar from pink sprayed paint on the wall. Underneath is hidden the familiar image of a spraypaint candle that we’ve seen in the past.
In addition, Banksy introduced another new piece showing his take on the infamous Creation of Adam piece by Michaelangelo with one of the hands wearing a red, hazmat glove. The piece is hanging above the door into the final room of the exhibition reserved for couple of miniature works by graffiti joker Lush and a mind blowing installation by Jimmy Cauty entitled Aftermath Displacement Principle, which shows a moment after a huge civil unrest of some sort hits a big city. With tiny police, ambulance and fire trucks everywhere, as well as flashing lights and sirens echoing through the dark room, the piece is almost impossible to examine in full and definitely leaves a strong mark at the end of this Dismaland’s attraction.
Photo credit: @arrestedmotion_sal.
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