To Each, His Own ... Country

April 6, 2007 12:01 PM

In 1980 artist Lars Vilks began construction of two sculptures in Skåne, Sweden. The works—once they were found—were considered houses by the local authorities and therefore condemned because they were built on a nature reserve. After many lost appeals, Vilks protested by declaring the area as the micronation of Ladonia with the motto of suum cuique. And while there is no possibility of receiving work or actually living in Ladonia, you too can become a citizen of Ladonia. For a nominal fee you can even become nobility, and choose your own title!
posted by terrapin (23 comments total)

Some "art" us just pointless
posted by Megafly at 12:09 PM on April 6, 2007

^^^ insightful! Thanks Megafly!
posted by garethspor at 12:12 PM on April 6, 2007

Ok, how about, don't put your art where you do not legally control what happens to it, if you want to maintain legal control of what happens to it.
posted by agentofselection at 12:32 PM on April 6, 2007

I've been a citizen since 2006. It's cheaper than Sealand--only 10 bucks or so for a title.
posted by mert at 12:33 PM on April 6, 2007

How about we encourage artists to keep doing what they're doing, so that they can provoke more sublime legal surreality such as this.
posted by Alex404 at 12:42 PM on April 6, 2007

Finally. Burning Man was sooo 90's.
posted by hal9k at 12:48 PM on April 6, 2007

How wonderfully weird. And I love the pic of the current president, bottle of wine hoisted.
posted by cortex at 12:50 PM on April 6, 2007

I'm all for legal surreality, but if you think that declaring a small parcel of land to be its own country, with no legal basis for that claim, qualifies as such, you should really visit Montana. I think that the original piece of art was was pretty cool. For example, the fact that one of those big piles of rocks managed to get status as a book, and got its own ISBN is just the right flavor of weird to tickle me. I think it would be even cooler if the sculptures were not going to be demolished, but it sounds like they are due both to to the artist's lack of foresight and to the local authorities lack of soul. As for the "sovereign nation" protest, I don't see the art in setting up a web page and saying "HAY GUYS JOIN MY COUNTRY SO WE CAN STICK IT TO THE MAN!!!!1"
Maybe I'm soulless too.
posted by agentofselection at 12:55 PM on April 6, 2007

I love this: The stone book "Arx" copy 1 and a part of copy 2. The book has 352 pages which cannot be turned. The reader has to move himself.
posted by jack_mo at 12:58 PM on April 6, 2007

Some "art" is just beautiful
posted by lekvar at 1:18 PM on April 6, 2007

Some "comments" are just pointless.
posted by saladin at 1:43 PM on April 6, 2007

Nice, but not art. If there was a naked japanese woman pissing on it, THEN it would be art.
posted by puke & cry at 1:54 PM on April 6, 2007

Do they issue passports?
posted by ZenMasterThis at 1:54 PM on April 6, 2007

"HAY GUYS JOIN MY COUNTRY SO WE CAN STICK IT TO THE MAN!!!!1"

How...Jeffersonian.
posted by trondant at 2:02 PM on April 6, 2007

Well the real question is, as an ordained Reverend in the Universal Life Church AND now nobility in Ladonia, how would I refer to myself?

The Reverend Viscount? Viscount Elendil P.Th.? Reverend Elendil, Viscount of Ladonia? I'm so confused. I dont want to embarrass myself at those Ladonian state dinners, the latest invitations of which I'm sure are on the way.
posted by elendil71 at 2:09 PM on April 6, 2007

I like this, and have never heard about it before. Good post!
posted by everichon at 2:18 PM on April 6, 2007

Lonely Planet has a really charming book about micronations like Ladonia. Some, like the Hutt River Province, seem to be moderately successful.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 2:20 PM on April 6, 2007

While I might like to declare myself Princess Cranberry, I balk at adding $12.00 to my tax bill. Could street light and sewer assessments be far behind?
Besides, mathowie does not allow nick changes.
posted by Cranberry at 2:58 PM on April 6, 2007

Sounds like Kurt Wallander might need to poke around and see what's up.
posted by cell divide at 3:04 PM on April 6, 2007

.Look at me, taking a beautiful park and cluttering it up with my trash. If you don't like it then you are an ignorant art-hating Philistine.

Artists should be able to do what they want, when they want like a soveriegn nation of their own without annoying "laws" and "property rights"


Anarchy is so cute and ironic I think I'll pretend to be part of a fake country to flaunt the law.
posted by Megafly at 3:18 PM on April 6, 2007

What's a "friherrinna?"
posted by Liosliath at 4:18 PM on April 6, 2007

I used to be Secretary of State for Ladonia.
posted by parmanparman at 4:26 PM on April 6, 2007

Imma gonna join furshur and get me one of dem high-fallutin titles.
posted by winks007 at 1:41 PM on April 10, 2007