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Rumours fly as Banksy exhibition takes over Weston-Super-Mare lido

Written by
Hannahbella Nel
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In case you haven't seen already, the internet has gone a little bit mental with the news that Bristol's superstar street artist, Banksy, is purportedly setting up an exhibition in the frequently derided nearby town of Weston-Super-Mare.

The Tropicana, Weston's art deco lido, was once the place to be if you wanted to soak up some West Country sun. However, the building has been abandoned since 2000 after numerous failed attempts to redevelop it.

Now, exciting rumours are circulating that the Tropicana is being used by Bristol's most famous stenciller to stage an exciting and dark interactive art event that is rumoured to be called 'Dismaland' – a sinister and twisted take on Disneyland.  

 

Of course, there has yet to be any official confirmation from the Banksy camp that this is true– other than signage around the Lido claiming that it's being used as film location for a crime thriller production called 'Grey Fox'. Until recently, this was backed up by the council when questioned.

 

A photo posted by uffizi.graffiti (@uffizi.graffiti) on

 

From what we know at this stage, the rumours are too big to ignore - a massive art sculpture by Mike Ross known as the 'Big Rig Jig' (last seen at a Burning Man festival), a giant seaside windmill and what looks like a fire-damaged version of the iconic Disney castle suggest the rumours are true. 

 

A photo posted by Andipa Gallery (@andipagallery) on

 

So what is happening on the Tropicana site? We'll have to go down and have a look to find out. But, from this drone footage, it looks like it's definitely worth a visit...

 

A photo posted by Iain Brimecome (@iainbrimecome) on

 

In 2009, Banksy launched his exhibition 'Banksy versus the Bristol Museum'. The 12-week show attracted more than 300,000 visitors from across the world and generated £10m in tourist revenue for the city. Could Weston-Super-Mare see a similar influx of art lovers? Apparently, many are on their way already...

Read more on the Time Out Bristol blog

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