Leif Elggren

The Kingdoms of Elgaland - Vargaland (KREV) is an art project by the artist duo Carl Michael von Hausswolf and Leif Elggren that started in 1992. Declared as a realm consisting of geographical, mental and digital borderlands, the polar regions, the internet, the oceans and the area between all state borders, The Kingdoms of Elgaland - Vargaland has been an ongoing project experimenting with the idea of the nation state since its inception 25 years ago. The Kingdoms of Elgaland - Vargaland has so far established embassies and consulates in thirty-nine locations around the world and issues its own passports and stamps.

The auction’s work is 12 stamps for the Kingdom of Elgaland-Vargaland to celebrate the stay on Isola di san Michele, 2007. Excerpt about ‘Isola di San Michele (The Kingdoms of Elgaland-Vargaland) Carl Michael von Hausswolff, Leif Elggren, Jan Håfström, Marja-Leena Sillanpää’ 14 February - 9 March 2008, Galleri Belenius (text from belenius.com)
“With effect from the 10th of June 2007. We, The Kingdoms of Elgaland-Vargaland, are annexing and occupying Isola di San Michele, the Island of the Dead, formerly a part of the city of Venice, Republic of Italy. From this point on and forever We designate this island as a part of our physica territory, as a part of the Kingdoms of Elgaland-Vargaland.
This simple fact, in combination with the insight that communication (in both directions) with the Other Side is possible, opens the door to the possibility of further investigation and exploration into the Realm of the Dead. Those individuals who have passed away shall now have the possibility to refuse citizenship to the Kingdoms of Elgaland-Vargaland because all dead are already, since 1993, citizens of the Kingdoms of Elgaland-Vargaland.
As of the 29th of April, 1993 all citizens of Elgaland-Vargaland have eternal life. This means that from 29th of April and for eternity, no one from Elgaland-Vargaland shall cross over the border to the Land of the Dead. Instead we see that the Dead, by means of citizenship to the Kingdoms of Elgaland-Vargaland, receive eternal life and thus re-enter the existential community and recapture a place amongst the living.
This new issue of stamps celebrates this and the incorporation of the Island of the Dead as a part of the physical territory of the Kingdoms of Elgaland-Vargaland, giving the dead citizens a place to dwell.”