Fatboy Slim and Cassette Lord team up to design snail sculpture

Cassette Lord and Fatboy Slim with their giant snail sculpture for Snailspace

The DJ – Norman Cook, a Brighton and Hove resident – is spearheading the Snailspace arts trail which will raise funds for Martlets Hospice in Hove.

The trail, which follows the successful Snowdogs by the Sea event in 2016, will see 50 giant snails and smaller sculptures decorated by schoolchildren dotted around the city from September 15.

Mr Cook said he is collaborating with street artist Cassette Lord to create a 'distinctive and unforgettable' design.

Street artistCassette Lord is set to create a 'distinctive and unforgettable' design with Norman Cook

He said:“ I loved the experience of being involved in Snowdogs by the Sea. The giant canine sculptures captured peoples’ imaginations and really brought the city together.

"The snail is an inspired choice as I love the idea of something usually so small being made large. I also love the fact that you just bump into a sculpture on your way into work, or your everyday journey, and it just makes you smile.

"There is also something about the whole idea of #BeMoreSnail which resonates. I think it is important to slow down and spend a bit more time doing the things we love, with the people we love.”

On why he wanted to collaborate with Cassette Lord, Mr Cook said: “I’ve been a fan of his work for a long time and this seemed like a great project to work on together. I know he’s going to bring something special to the snail…. just don’t ask me what it is yet, as we want to retain an element of surprise. We ‘re also planning an exhibition of street art when the project goes live in September.”

Originally from Portsmouth, Brighton-based street artist Martin Middleton, aka Cassette Lord, transforms the urban landscape with his bright, bold and surreal stencil work. He’s made it his mission to transform Brighton’s bland green junction boxes into giant cassette tapes.

He said: "The cassette tape was the right shape for the junction boxes and the perfect retro choice for the art and music saturated landscape of Brighton. I loved the prospect of seeing these massive cassettes sticking up out of the pavement like they had been ejected from some huge subterranean cassette-playing mother ship!"

Talking about why he wanted to get involved in creating a giant snail Martin said: “I’m a fan of American artist Claes Oldenburg, who takes tiny everyday objects and makes them into massive sculptures, which is exactly what this project does. With our cities crammed full of advertising, signs and signals I think it is really important to implant the abstract and surreal in the everyday to remind us that our visual reality and environment can be altered and doesn't always have to make sense, it's important not to lose that sense of play."

Fatboy Slim’s snail will take its place alongside 49 other giant snail sculptures, each uniquely decorated by artists.

They will hit the streets of Brighton & Hove from Saturday, September 15 until Sunday, November 18 and be on show nine weeks.

Every snail sculpture will be auctioned to raise money for Martlets and its life-changing care.

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