Dismaland to be reassembled as shelters at Calais’ Jungle refugee camp
- Text by Alex King
- Photography by James Cannon
At one of the darkest attractions in Banksy’s Dismaland, visitors were invited to pilot remote-controlled coastguard vessels to ram into model boats packed full of migrants. A depressing caricature of Europe’s response to the Mediterranean migrants crisis, war-weary model refugees looked out from the dangerously over-crowded boats while drowned bodies floated by face-down in the murky water.
As builders begin dismantling the infamous ‘bemusement park’ at Weston-super Mare, Banksy has announced that the timber and fixtures from Dismaland will be sent to the Calais ‘Jungle’ refugee camp to build shelters.
Naturally, there will be the haters, weary of Banksy’s antics, who see him using the Calais refugees as extras in another publicity stunt. However, there is no doubt the support is desperately needed. When Huck visited the camp in August with Critical Mass activists, we met people living in dire conditions and saw torrential rain wash away tents and other makeshift shelters.
Between three to five thousand displaced people are estimated to be living in the camp, mostly from countries such as Sudan, Afghanistan and Eritrea. The majority hope to make it to Britain, but as security around the port and Eurotunnel have been beefed up, growing numbers have been stuck in the Jungle, with many applying for asylum in France.
The image released by Banksy to announce his new plans for Dismaland.
Banksy released a picture with Dismaland’s centrepiece, Cinderella’s castle, photoshopped into the middle of the Jungle camp. However, it’s unlikely that anything will be recognisable of installations such as Guerrilla Island, the Jeffrey Archer Memorial Fire Pit or Water Cannon Creek, when material from the park is reassembled in Calais.
As Huck reported, government indifference and inaction on both sides of the channel has spurred groups of ordinary people to come together to donate clothing, bicycles and other supplies to the Calais refugees.
In August, French prime minister Manuel Valls pledged a £3.6m humanitarian camp – but that won’t be ready until next year, and weeks after Valls’ speech French police marched in to destroy a section of the camp.
Whatever you think of Banksy, it looks like he’ll be putting roofs over people’s head in Calais long before the French (or British) government does anything meaningful to help.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
How Japan revolutionised art & photography in the ’60s and ’70s
From Angura to Provoke — A new photobook chronicles the radical avant-garde scene of the postwar period, whose subversion of the medium of image making remains shocking and groundbreaking to this day.
Written by: Miss Rosen
The lacerating catharsis of body suspension in Hong Kong
Self-Ferrying — In one of the world’s most densely packed cities, an underground group of young people are piercing their skin and hanging their bodies with hooks in a shocking exploration of pain and pleasure. Sophie Liu goes to a session to understand why they partake in the extreme underground practice.
Written by: Sophie Liu
On The Mountain, Jamie Hewlett’s Gorillaz explore life after death
Going East — As everyone’s favourite animated band release their latest album, the visual artist behind it all catches up with Josh Jones to chat about the grief and spirituality underlining the record, as well as his learnings from how other cultures approach death and the afterlife.
Written by: Josh Jones
Greer Lankton’s dolls are more human than you think
Could It Be Love — A staple figure in New York’s ’80s East Village scene, her art shocked and confronted. Now, three decades after her death, a new monograph anthologises her work, which explores the darker sides of human life, but also finds beauty within the strange.
Written by: Miss Rosen
In photos: The colourful, foreboding techno-optimism of the ’90s
A Visual History — Henry Carroll’s new book traces the roots of unfettered, present-day neoliberalism through images from the 20th century’s final decade, raising questions about how we arrived at where we are today.
Written by: Miss Rosen
New Shepard Fairey print commemorates killed Palestinian child Hind Rajab
Remember — It comes two years after the five-year-old was killed by the IDF as she and her family were attempting to flee Gaza City, with proceeds going to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
Written by: Isaac Muk
