A new Banksy pop-up called Dismaland—a dig at Walt Disney Company's global fun factories—is rumored to be in the works at a seaside resort near Bristol. Photos of the site have been spreading across Twitter and Instagram, depicting a warped gas truck, an abrasive wire horse sculpture, and a castle that looks like the Magic Kingdom's deranged younger brother sprouting inside aging the Weston-super-Mare lido, The Tropicana.A photo posted by Banksy (@banksyny) on Aug 19, 2015 at 5:57am PDT
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That said, there are good reasons to believe Banksy's hand is involved. The Dail Mail reports that Holly Cushing, a woman believed to be his manager and who is listed as an Executive Producer on the Banksy documentary, Exit Through The Gift Shop, was spotted chatting to the on-site security guards. Financial records show that Cushing set up a company called Dismaland Ltd. with Banksy's alleged accountant, Simon Durban, earlier this year. There is yet to be any mention about the work on Banksy's website.Banksy pokes fun at unjust wars, brutal poverty, ridiculous income inequality, but Disney seems to have a special place in the snarky part of his brain, as he's turned the cartoon icon into rat food, and married him with screaming napalm victims, anarchists, and Hitler. Oh, and there was that time he snuck a mannequin dressed like a Guantanamo Bay prisoner into the Thunder Mountain rollercoaster.A photo posted by Clay Rochemont (@hxfour) on Aug 17, 2015 at 12:46pm PDT
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A photo posted by Banksy (@banksyny) on Aug 19, 2015 at 5:57am PDT
Sod Paris or Florida, #WestonSuperMare only place to be this summer! #Dismaland #Banksy #Disneyland opening soon! pic.twitter.com/6OSpd7LxtH
— Upfest Urban Arts (@Upfest) August 19, 2015
A photo posted by Ross Simmons (@rossroscosimmons) on Aug 18, 2015 at 7:02am PDT
A photo posted by Art Collectors Anonymous (@collectorsofart) on Aug 17, 2015 at 8:19pm PDT
Dismaland is rumored to open its doors on Friday, August 21. If it's actually the work of Britain's best-known street artist, we can't wait to see dark his take Disney's eternally peppy army of costumed characters. Check Banksy's website for updates on the elusive artist.Related:A Collection of Rare Banksy Works Goes on Display in New YorkNew Video Reveals Banksy in GazaMeet the Crowd-Sourced Cast of the New Banksy DocIs Instagram Video Banksy's Newest Obsession?A photo posted by VNA MAGAZINE (@vnamagazine) on Aug 18, 2015 at 5:40am PDT