Elgaland-Vargaland: Difference between revisions

|{{Infobox micronation = yes

'''Elgaland-Vargaland''' is a [[conceptual art]] project<ref name=mass>{{cite web|url=http://www.massgallery.org/events/in-conversation-lief-elggren-and-cm-von-hausswolf/|title=In conversation: Leif Elggren and CM von Hausswolff|work=MASS Gallery|date=May 30, 2014|accessdateaccess-date=June 22, 2016|archive-date=June 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617090612/http://www.massgallery.org/events/in-conversation-lief-elggren-and-cm-von-hausswolf/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[micronation]] conceived and developed by [[Sweden|Swedish]] artists [[Carl Michael von Hausswolff]] and [[Leif Elggren]] in 1992. It is also known by its acronym "KREV"<ref name=mass/> (KonungaRikena Elgaland-Vargaland).

Von Hausswolff and Elggren formed the name out of their own names and define the country as being the [[border]]s of other countries. The decision to found the country and name themselves kings was in reaction to Sweden still having a monarchy.<ref name=venice>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/09/arts/design/09bien.html|title=At Venice Biennale, Artists Plant Flag for Their State (of Mind)|work=New York Times|last=Kennedy|first=Randy|date=June 9, 2007|accessdateaccess-date=June 9, 2016}}</ref> The country was announced in an advert in ''[[Dagens Nyheter]]'' newspaper. It was announced on May 27, 1992.<ref name=exist>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.co.ukcom/books?id=ThnYCQAAQBAJ&pg=PT221|title=An Atlas of Countries That Don't Exist: A compendium of fifty unrecognized and largely unnoticed states|last=Middleton|first=Nick|date=November 5, 2015|publisher=Pan Macmillan|page=221|accessdateaccess-date=June 22, 2016|isbn=9781447295297}}</ref> Other Scandinavian artists have had micronations, such as [[Lars Vilks]]' [[Ladonia (micronation)|Ladonia]].<ref name=expressen/>

{{quote box|align=right|width=25%|bgcolor=#c6dbf7|quote="Elgaland-Vargaland is an extended series of objects and performances concerning territorial ownership, the right to rule and the rights of individuals."|source=—Gallery 400<ref name=gallery400>{{cite web|url=http://gallery400.uic.edu/exhibitions/the-inauguration-of-the-consulate-general-for-the-kingdoms-of-elgaland-vargaland|title=The Inauguration of the Consulate General for the Kingdoms of Elgaland-Vargaland|date=November 27, 2007|accessdateaccess-date=June 22, 2016|work=Gallery 400|publisher=University of Illinois at Chicago}}</ref>}}

Elgaland-Vargaland has a flag<ref name=nowandthen/> and national anthem, issues passports and stamps on request, and has had a number of "embassies" (art exhibitions).<ref name=venice/> Elggren often invokes "the image of a street-corner lunatic with a paper crown who declares himself King".<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.co.ukcom/books?id=lN85AQAAIAAJ&q=elgaland&dq=elgaland|title=Micro-bionic: Radical Electronic Music and Sound Art in the 21st Century|first1=Thomas|last1=Bey|first2=William|last2=Bailey|publisher=Creation Books|date=2009|page=130|isbn=9781840681536}}</ref>

In March 1994, they opened a "general consulate" at [[Thomas Nordanstad Gallery]] in New York and applied for membership of the United Nations.<ref>{{cite journal|titlework=[[New Art Examiner]]|title= Changing realities: some remarks on the Nordic in general and Swedish contemporary art in particular|issn=0886-8115|last=Nilsson|first=John Peter|volume=25|issue=7-10|page=23|date=1998|publisher=New Art Association}}</ref> In 2002, on the tenth anniversary, a group of 10 travelled from Sweden to Estonia carrying only Elgaland-Vargaland passports - they were detained and their passports confiscated, and they were returned to Sweden the next day. They had planned to be turned away from each country in turn, indefinitely.<ref name=exist/> The same year, they released a musical album titled "The kingdoms of Elgaland-Vargaland, 1992-2002", published by Ash International.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kudosrecords.co.uk/release/ash6.6/various-artists-the-kingdoms-of-elgaland-vargaland.html|title=Various Artists, The Kingdoms of Elgaland Vargaland|work=Ash International|date=July 15, 2002}}</ref> In 2003, Elgaland-Vargaland attended a conference of micronations in Finland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.variant.org.uk/events/Market30/MM_Market.pdf|title=Between a Rock and a Hard Place – The Possibilities for Contemporary Art Institutions to Function as Critical Political Spaces|last=Muukkonen|first=Marita|date=2007|work=Variant.org.uk}}</ref>

As of 2007, the country had around 850 citizens<ref name=venice/> and by 2014 they claimed 980 citizens.<ref name=nowandthen>{{cite news|url=http://artforum.com/diary/id=46029|title=Now and Then|last=Yablonsky|first=Linda|date=March 31, 2014|work=Art Forum|accessdateaccess-date=June 22, 2016}}</ref> In 2007 they had 20 ambassadors;<ref name=venice/> the embassy in Reykjavik opened in 1994 at the Nýlistasafninu (Museum of Fine Arts)<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mbl.is/greinasafn/grein/131237/|title=Konungsríkin Elgaland - Vargaland|work=Morgunbladid|date=March 26, 1994|accessdateaccess-date=June 22, 2016}}</ref> the embassy in Berlin was opened in 2006 at the [[Haus der Kulturen der Welt]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hkw.de/en/programm/projekte/veranstaltung/p_13838.php|title=The Opening of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Elgaland-Vargaland|work=HKW|date=October 21, 2006|accessdateaccess-date=June 22, 2016}}</ref> and the Moroccan embassy opened in 2014 before the [[Marrakech Biennale]].<ref name=nowandthen/> A "Consulate General" was held at [[Gallery 400]] in Chicago for two months in 2007-82007–8 as part of the city's Festival of Maps.<ref name=gallery400/> They have a number of Ministers, mainly artists, including trumpeter Greg Kelley who is Minister of Fanfares.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://gapersblock.com/transmission/2011/11/16/a_curious_of_crowns_leif_elggren_at_lampo/|title=A Curious of Crowns: Leif Elggren at Lampo|work=Transmission|publisher=Gapers Block|date=November 16, 2011|last=Sienko|first=Chris|accessdateaccess-date=June 22, 2016}}</ref>

The claims extend to other "interstitial territories" such as the transition from being asleep to wakefulness (the hypnogogic state),<ref name=mass/> and [[limbo]]<ref name=exist/> and they also regard all dead people as being citizens. In 2007, they declared at the [[Venice Biennale]] that they had annexed the [[Isola di San Michele]], an island cemetery.<ref name=venice/> This annexation project appeared at the Gallery Niklas Belenius in 2008.<ref name=expressen>{{cite news|url=http://www.expressen.se/kultur/konst/elgaland-vargaland--galleri-niklas-belenius/|title=Elgaland-Vargaland / Galleri Niklas Belenius|work=Expressen|date=March 12, 2008|accessdateaccess-date=June 22, 2016}}</ref>

* {{official website|http://www.elgaland-vargaland.org/}}