A piece of artwork exhibited at Banksy’s Dismaland will finally be displayed in Weston town centre.
Banksy’s Pinwheel is set to be installed in the Italian Gardens after sitting in storage for five years.
The elusive artist gave the colourful piece to the town after he created Dismaland Bemusement Park at the Tropicana in 2015, which brought an estimated £20million to the local economy.
The pinwheel, which was a prominent piece of art at the Tropicana during the exhibition, was donated to the town by Banksy.
The artist was keen from the outset for Weston to host a permanent reminder of Dismaland, and chose the wheel.
When the show closed, it remained at the Tropicana, displayed in the same place as it was during Dismaland.
However,by 2017 it was left on its side by one of the walls, and could only be seen by those visiting the venue.
The seven-metre-tall artwork was expected to be installed in the Italian Gardens last summer, whichwas delayed due to negotiations between Banksy’s representatives and North Somerset Council.
MORE: Site for pinwheel confirmed.
In a Facebook Live video, the council’s executive member for business, economy and employment, Mark Canniford, said: “We have got an agreement with the Banksy organisation where the Pinwheel can go. It will be in the centre of town.
“We’re currently dealing with the engineering aspects as it has to be well-fitted to the ground. Someone might take a shine to the pinwheel, it’s a Banksy piece of art.
“It’s going to be in the centre of town. We’re looking at the other opportunities around that location. It’s something that will be happening soon. The lockdown has made it difficult to do the work.”
More than 150,000 people visited Dismaland during its five-week run in the summer of 2015.
The idea of moving the pinwheel to the Italian Gardens was first mooted in 2018.
Last year, the council received a £50,000 grant from the Government’s Coastal Revival fund to refurbish the pinwheel.
The Italian Gardens and the Heritage Action Zone are part of the Weston Town Centre Regeneration Programme, which is delivering improvement to key sites within the town and encouraging inward investment.
The Mercury broke the international news back in 2015 when Banksy exclusively told the paper his plans to help revive the former lido with his theme park.
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