The Snail Shell System is a lowcost mobile home. Shaped like a wheel, the Snail Shell System is covered with rubber caterpillar tracks to facilitate easy movement through the streets of a city. The system is designed for one person and works on both land and water (on water it can be rowed). The home comes equipped with air intake valves, an equipment box containing a kitchen pan, kettle, alcohol burner and plastic bags, a bilge pump and a toilet. N55 suggests the Snail Shell System can be used to transport items or used to provide protectionfor someone during demonstrations. N55 is a Copenhagen based art collective that is sadly no longer active, but the release all their stuff freely via the internet or through book form. Their images can be seen online and are not copyrighted.
As a work of art, I like how it is called a Snail Shell System but it has zero visual representation of a snail. It's in the shape of a wheel not a shell, there's no spiral, it's simply black and white, etc. I appreciate this because it focuses on the idea of a shell being the snail's home, and that there is no real need for any extra visuals for this product to portray its idea - more may possibly even be distracting. I am always afraid of never getting my message across so I think I sometimes tend to get carried away, so this is something I can learn from.
As a utility tool, it's fascinating! I'm a college student, can I use this instead of paying rent?!
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Leia Tucker
4/15/2014 03:11:18 pm
I agree with Kevin in the sense that I don't understand why it would be called the "snail shell". But this is a piece I think I would also question if it was art or not. I would ultimately say it was, but it's more for function. It's more to be used. It's better for campers than to be put in a museum to be pondered on. Not saying all art needs to be pondered on in a museum. But I think the artistic qualities would be the different functions the shell has. The fact that it allows for different environments, including water (which again, has nothing to do with a snail).
Maybe we all could get one and think about different ideas while rolling or rowing around. :)
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sofia mustelin
4/27/2014 04:56:31 pm
I think the reason why it is called the snail shell is because it is a portable home that can be carried with you just as a snail carries it's home or it's shell with it everywhere. I think it's a pretty cool idea and I think that this would be super fun if I wasn't so claustrophobic! It really reminds me of a piece done by another artist, except that that piece focused on the issue of homelessness.
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