Giant snails slide into Dublin for upcoming public arts exhibition

There are 7,500+ miles between Dublin, Ohio and Milan, Italy, and three giant snails made that journey.

Dublin Arts Council welcomed a new public art display that features three larger-than-life, bright orange snails on its front lawn at 7125 Riverside Dr. Here’s what you need to know about these sluggish sculptures.

Check it out

You can go to the Dublin Arts Council building right now to go check out these snails. They were added at the beginning of March and will eventually move around the city.

This is where the community can participate, too. The Arts Council will collect community input to decide where the snails where go next.

More to come

These snails are just getting started. A new temporary exhibition in conjunction with the snails will be added to the grounds called “Dwelling; A Snail’s Journey.” It will run from Saturday, May 11-Friday, June 28.

The Arts Council hopes this new addition will spark conversation about human’s relationship with natural and artificial environments. Additionally, there will be prompts and sensory activities inspired by the snails.

Why snails?

There were many symbolic reasons for choosing snails, including how they are known for moving slowly and patiently, with a focus on safely achieving goals.

“We were inspired by the themes of the snails and curious about the way they exist in the world,” said Ava Morgan, Public Arts Manager at Dublin Arts Council. “The snails inspire us to think about our own relationship with nature and the way we show up in the world.”

Origin story

These snails were created in Milan, Italy by a group of six Italian-based artists known as “Cracking Art.” The group formed in 1993, and are known for making art through socially and environmentally friendly practices.