When it comes to excitement about hosting the Turner Prize, Margate is getting a big head. Literally.
Dreamland Margate has commissioned artists Cool Shit – the team behind Happy Kayne – to produce a giant inflatable sculpture of Tina Turner’s head for the vintage amusement park, in the run up to the Turner Prize 2019 exhibition.
Standing 7m tall and 7m wide, the mammoth piece of fan art will be unveiled at the park on 10th August, and guests can visit it every day over the summer for free. It will even contain a karaoke booth so fans of the iconic singer, who turns 80 this year, can belt out Simply The Best or Private Dancer to their heart’s content.
The grand unveiling will also mark the launch of Dreamland’s answer to the Turner Prize 2019 (which comes to Margate’s Turner Contemporary gallery from September) – The Tina Turner Prize, an open competition to find a new Tina Turner-themed work of art to adorn Dreamland’s Mural by The Sea billboard.
CEO of Dreamland Margate Eddie Kemsley said: “Turner Prize 2019 is one of the biggest events to come to Margate – so we responded in kind.
“Margate is a haven for internationally renowned artists and the Turner Contemporary is at the heart of the town’s cultural evolution. But Margate is also – and always has been – delightfully kitsch, fun and a trendsetter. So we wanted to create a work of art at Dreamland that would complement the Turner Prize exhibition – by offering visitors another anchor point of interest – and also show the alternative, modern and wonderfully camp side of Margate’s arts scene.
“We’re thrilled to be honouring one of music’s greatest icons with a piece of fan art that thousands of people will be able to engage with and enjoy for free.”
Cool Shit have been making inflatable sculptures ever since they first decided to share a giant version of Lionel Richie’s head in 2013. Other work includes sculptures of Kanye West, Snoop Dogg and Nicholas Cage In A Cage, and they have exhibited in New York, Miami Beach, London, Paris – and now Margate.
The Tina Turner head will have pride of place at Dreamland’s own Pride celebrations on 10th August, when the park will be awash with rainbow-themed fun, culminating in a performance by Melanie C Ft Sink The Pink on the outdoor Scenic Stage.
The Tiina Turner prize opens on 10th August and is open to any artist who wishes to submit a proposals for a bespoke work of art inspired by Tina Turner to adorn the Mural By The Sea billboard. Artists will be shortlisted by the end of August, and the finalists’ proposals will be put to a public vote, giving Dreamland’s guests the final say on who is the winner. The winning work will be on display from October through to January 2020.
Turner Prize 2019 will be exhibited at Turner Contemporary from 28th September, and the winner will be announced in December.
Full details of visiting times and booking karaoke slots will be revealed on the Dreamland website closer to the launch date www.dreamland.co.uk
Dreamland Margate is free to enter and is open every day of the summer holidays. Guests can pay per ride or buy discounted ride wristbands in advance online. Dreamland membership get the most out the park, with unlimited rides and multiple discounts across the site throughout the year.
