Carl Michael von Hausswolff

Konungarikena Elgaland-Vargaland (KREV) är ett konstprojekt av duon Carl Michael von Hausswolf och Leif Elggren, som startades 1992. Projektet utforskar gränslandet mellan geografiska, mentala och digitala områden – från polarområdena och världshaven till internets oändlighet – och utmanar därmed begreppet nationalstat. Under de senaste 25 åren har Elgaland-Vargaland etablerat ambassader och konsulat på 39 platser världen över samt utfärdat egna pass och frimärken.

Auktionens verk består av 12 frimärken skapade för att fira vistelsen på Isola di San Michele 2007.
(Utdrag från “Isola di San Michele (The Kingdoms of Elgaland-Vargaland)” av Carl Michael von Hausswolff, Leif Elggren, Jan Håfström och Marja-Leena Sillanpää, utställt 14 februari–9 mars 2008 på Galleri Belenius, källa: 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.”