Radical Recycling: Micronation Made from Flotsam
Some countries are discovered – others are, apparently, built from scratch by incredible artists from floating debris. Much like the infamous Sealand, Ladonia has a relatively short (as nations go) but storied history. Also like Sealand (or Burning Man) its status within Sweden as an actual micronation is dubious at best – but that has not kept people from declaring war on it or attempting to immigrate en masse.
Complete with ministers, county councils, postal codes, social classes and a national flag the ‘residents’ of Ladonia are actually nomads – thousands of participants from around the world, some of whom participated in the construction of the fantastic wood-and-nail structures (70 tons worth) that make up the upcycled wooden framework and hundreds of tons of stones stacked upon one another.
The decades of controversy surrounding these strange sculptures includes their sale to world-famous installation artist Christo, fights with the Supreme Court of Sweden, a declaration of war from the Pirate Bay and many other strange tales – in many ways, the work of art (or micronation) is as much tied to its past as to its aesthetics or inhabitants (or lack thereof).
