Banksy vs The Bristol Museum and Art Gallery (Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery)

Member Name: steedandpeel

Product:	Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery
Date:	24/07/09 (678 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Banksy art work everywhere and the very reasonable price - it's free!

Disadvantages: The queue, the queue, the queue, disabled access, opening hours and lack of guide book

Well today I've been to see this summer's hot art exhibition ticket - Banksy vs The Bristol Museum. I've been living in Bristol for 7 years now, and I've been to the museum a couple of times for corporate functions, but I've never been round the whole museum. The Banksy exhibition is extremely popular, drawing people to the city from all over the world. My Mum lives in London and she decided to take a day trip to Bristol to visit the exhibition, so I booked a day off work to join her.

---The Queue---

The queue has been a talking point in the local press, and I've driven passed it a few times and it looked pretty long! However, a few of my friends and colleagues had already visited the exhibition and no-one had queued for more than an hour, so I expected it to be relatively quick moving. Despite this, I thought going on a weekday would be a lot better then going at the weekend. We joined the queue at midday. And we waited and waited. Finally we were allowed in at 2pm. The two hour wait was actually quicker than the helpful signs placed alongside the queue had stated - we expected to wait for about 3 hours! Therefore, if you're planning to go, do expect to wait for a long time. Also, take a brolly, as the queue is out in the open and quite exposed.

We joked we should have brought my Dad along as he usually uses a wheelchair, so we thought we could have jumped the queue. However, I then noticed some wheelchair users waiting patiently some way behind us, so there is obviously no queue jumping no matter what disability you may have. I would recommend joining the queue as early as possible (the museum opens at 10 am) to minimise waiting time.

---The Main Exhibition---

When you enter the museum, the main entrance atrium contains a number of Banksy's works, including various sculptures, and an ice cream van art work which is where the main reception desk is. Still queuing, you pass through this space, along a corridor (where you can jump out of the queue for a moment to use the loo or visit the shop) and into the second main atrium of the museum. Whilst in the corridor, don't miss the Banksy artwork on the wall with a Michael Jackson theme!

The second atrium is given over to Banksy works, designed to be like exhibits in a zoo, but with a Banksy themed twist! From this atrium, you pass into the main exhibition space where a number of Banksy's most famous works on canvas are hanging, such as Parliament, which was great to see in the flesh. There was also a mock-up of Banksy's studio. As ever, Banksy's works are very thought provoking and make social comment on various aspects of modern life.

Once you have passed through these main areas the number of people thins out and you are free to explore the rest of the museum at your own leisure.

---The Rest of the Museum---

Unlike many other exhibitions, Banksy has completely taken over the whole museum. Therefore, once you've been marshalled through the main exhibition spaces, you should go on hunt around the whole museum looking for 'hidden' Banksy's.

There are works of art with a Banksy themed twist, such as the Madonna and Child listening to their i-pod, Venus recovering from a nose job and a peasant worker who has stepped out of the painting to have a fag break! All the Banksy works of art on canvas are credited to a 'Local Artist' so you know it's a Banksy. These art works are excellent, the highlight of the show, and demonstrate what a fantastic artist Banksy is, technically in addition to this street art works.

Banksys' are hidden everywhere, such as the display of stalagmite and stalactites in the geology section, which have dildos hidden amongst them. There is a traditional Gypsy caravan with an eviction notice and wheel clamp slapped on it, a lamb with a gas mask in the stuffed animal section, and a model of a middle eastern village with minature soldiers and terrorists strategically placed on roof tops.

---General Comment---

This was an excellent exhibition, which has brought thousands of people to see a provincial art gallery and museum and really given a boost to Bristol's economy this summer. I really enjoyed it and would urge anyone who is interested in this type of thought provoking art to give it a go.

Some of the art work is quite risque, but may well go over the heads of children, or just make them giggle - there were certainly plenty of children with their parents and lots of teenagers there. And of course, the whole thing is free!

Obviously, the queue is the downside to this exhibition, and I would expect that as the school holidays have just started, this is bound to get worse rather than better. I was very glad I went during the week and took a day off work to do so.

It's quite good fun hunting for Bansky's all around the museum, and it ensures that you visit every single inch of the museum. However, this is also a downside. You end up giving a cursory glance to most exhibits which are fascinating in their own right, purely to find the next elusive Banksy hidden away in an obscure display case. Therefore, you miss many of the museum's own gems. Also, there are rather a lot of stairs to in the museum and it is quite sprawling. Therefore, having spent over two hours queuing up, it is very tiring by the end!

There was no catalogue or guide on sale, so you couldn't check if you'd missed any Banksy's. The gift shop was smallish and the choice of Banksy-related products was limited to some books and about 5 prints. This was quite poor, as we were hungry to spend our money on mementos of the day.

I don't want to criticise the organisers too much, as they have brought a wonderful exhibition to the city for free. However, I don't think they can quite cope with the amount of people coming. The opening hours are from 10am to 5pm. This is crazy! Many popular gallerys in London open until 7 or 8pm every night, opening until 10pm for more popular exhibitions. The Bristol museum should certainly think of doing this, as they will be completely overwhelmed as the exhibition nears the end of its run (at the end of August). I overheard two members of staff saying that today was the busiest day so far, and that there were a number of people in the queue who would not be expected to get into to exhibition. They were expecting arguments and punch ups! Last entry is at 4.30, which gives nowhere near enough time to explore the whole museum. I would hope that they extend the opening hours in August.

I would also advise, that whilst there is some degree of accessibility for disabled people, it is not great. The disabled lift access to the main atrium was out of order today, and there are a lot of stairs. Anyone with mobility problems or with a push chair would probably be able to view the main exhibition, but not all the extras dotted around the gallery. Had my Dad joined us today, he would have had to get out of his chair to walk at certain points, or be carried up stairs and would certainly have not been able to get to the upper galleries. Obviously this is due to the design of the Edwardian Grade II Listed Building and not the fault of the organisers (apart from the lift being out of order), but it is worth noting if you are disabled and considering a visit.

---Conclusions---

All in all, this is a great exhibition, and fantastic value for money, being free. Even with parking and each donating to the museum we spend less than £15 between us which was well worth it!

However, beware of the queue! Come prepared, with sensible shoes, brollys, and get there early or be prepared to wait for a long time! Despite this grumble, do visit the whole museum, as the works of art by the Local Artist are the best parts of the exhibition.

Well worth a look at, especially if you are Bristolian or if you appreciate thought provoking art work.

Summary: Banksy takes over The Bristol Museum - worth a visit, it's a great exhibition. Beware the queue!