Snails

Its shell is admired for its spiral form, its crawling way to move is often turned into ridicule, its slimy body is often seen as repulsive but still consumed with delight, garlic and butter. Our relation to snails is extremely ambivalent. It is high time to take a closer look at this multifaceted animal with all due respect. Florian Werner traces back the cultural history of snails, visits the World Snail Racing Competition in England and an organic snail farm in France and informs himself about the virtuosity of snail sex. In doing so he doesn't only acknowledge the contribution of snails to the history of architecture and films but also their roles in the origin of the monetary system and brass-band music. In our modern world with its aimless and frantic pace, the snail has got what it takes to become an object of longing.