Following the accidental disappearance of Lars Vilks, Queen Carolyn of Ladonia talks about the future of her micronation, now orphaned by its founder.
As a key figure in the micronational world, Her Majesty Queen Carolyn is an iron fist in a velvet glove. The Sovereign works tirelessly to ensure a future for her micronation and to give it ever more meaning.
The disappearance of Lars Vilks undeniably turns a page in Ladonian history. It thus leaves a trauma that can only orient the Ladonians towards a more sustained struggle for free speech. This requires courage and an solid will that the Queen intends to maintain by carrying out methodical and always committed action.
This interview with Her Majesty shows a certain determination without provocation or hatred to carry out the mission that her fellow citizens expect of her.
« Expression and art should be free from constraints and free to exist because it is there to provoke thought and discussion ».
Who was Lars for you and the people of Ladonia?
For most Ladonians, Lars was the reason they became citizens. Either to support his art, support the message of his art (which is that expression and art should be free from constraints and free to exist because it is there to provoke thought and discussion -- and neither thought or discussion should be shut down or "canceled"), or to protest against the way the art world (and then later, the government) treated Lars because of his art. For Ladonians who joined but were not aware of Lars' work, they were drawn to the idea of a place where speech and art were truly free and protected. And once they had joined us, they learned about Lars and how his work was the foundation of our experiment in nation-building. For me, I originally became a citizen because of the second reason. I was drawn to the opportunity to help build something from the ground up, with like-minded people, to try to show that the current definitions of statehood and nationhood are outdated and could be better. Lars was our rallying point. His memory continues to be our rallying point, and Nimis and Arx are the enduring symbols of his message.
Do you plan a specific commemoration or monument in Nimis for him?
Nimis and Arx *are* Lars' monuments. To honor his memory and to keep the campaign for free speech and free expression alive, we (the Ladonians) have created two NGOs, one in the US and one in Sweden, to officially be responsible for the maintenance and preservation of Nimis and Arx.
How do you see Ladonia growing today?
Ladonia is continuing to grow just by word of mouth and from the awareness generated by recent news coverage. Going forward, we plan to use the NGOs to not only maintain and preserve Nimis, but to support free speech and free expression wherever and whenever possible (through funding and activism), and to continue to grow our citizen rolls and hopefully inch closer to "real" statehood.
Site internet de la Ladonie: www.ladonia.org
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