Few among us haven’t stumbled upon an army of snails gliding along after a patchy drizzle. These delicate creatures are often at the mercy of our footsteps, mere moments away from being reduced to a squishy mess. In stark contrast, Munich boasts a grand sculpted version of this humble animal, designed to endure far more than the weight of passing feet.
By: Omri Westmark
Date: 19:47 12.12.24
Last Update: 19:47 12.12.24
Throughout Munich, visitors can find a hodgepodge of quirky art installations, each seemingly vying to outshine the rest in creativity. Faced with the challenge of standing out amid the local scenery, American artists Paul McCarthy and Jason Rhoades opted to erect a sculpted gastropod that leaves passersby both puzzled and intrigued.
Known as Sweet Brown Snail, this fiberglass sculpture stands 4.5 meters tall and sits prominently in the plaza between the Deutsches Museum Verkehrszentrum and the congress hall. Its playful design, a snail with a vibrant red shell, belies a deeper commentary on themes of speed, mobility, and human aspirations.
According to McCarthy and Rhoades, the oversized snail, a dramatic enlargement of a trinket once sold in a kiosk, invites onlookers to rethink the everyday. In choosing a creature synonymous with slowness to stand before a museum celebrating transportation and speed, the artists present an ironic take on modern mobility.
The snail’s shell, often seen as a symbol of self-sufficiency, underscores the paradox: while humans crave rapidity and technological progress, there is a quiet appeal to the simplicity and steadiness of nature.
Installed in 2002 as part of an art-in-architecture project, Sweet Brown Snail was not intended to be a mere whimsical addition to the plaza. Its creators vehemently assert that it functions as a conversation piece, challenging taboos of scale and context. Its contrasting hues, a neutral gray body and brick-red shell, pop against the pale limestone of the plaza, and ensure its unmissable presence.
Over the years, Sweet Brown Snail has become a local sensation, even as its origins in the conceptual Proppositions series by Rhoades and McCarthy remain lesser known. These works explored the reimagining of ordinary objects, turning them into artistic statements.
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
