The initial images for UK artist Banksy’s “Dismal Land” have graced our screens and the verdict is in: It’ll ruin your childhood, and you’re going to love it.
A disheveled Cinderella hangs lifelessly from the window of her overturned carriage as men in motor cycle helmets snap pictures for tomorrow’s feature story. A grim reaper – complete with scythe and black robes – grins for the camera as he drives a bumper car. A distorted Ariel graces the filthy pool outside a broken down castle. And in one of the most haunting displays a boat full of dirty children are stranded in a large body of water.
The displays are part of the five week art display called “Dismal Land” which features work by Banksy, Damien Hirst, Jenny Holzer and others. Eerie and thought-provoking, the art-show has taken the internet by storm. Speculations about the interpretations of the displays have already started, like the similarities between this display featuring Cinderella, and the murky details regarding the death of humanitarian Lady Diane, former Princess of Wales.
Or whether or not this display, featuring an overcrowded boat of children being met by a military vessel, is a depiction of the plight of illegal emigrants.
The artist has been described as a pseudonymous English graffiti artist, political activist, film director, and painter. His works of political and social commentary have been featured on streets, walls, and bridges of cities throughout the world. Talking about ‘Dismal Land’, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported that the artist called it “a family theme park unsuitable for children”. The show will be inside and around a building in Weston-super-Mare, in Somerset, England.
