INAUGURAL INDUCTION CLASS (2021)

Lars Vilks was born in Helsingborg, Sweden in 1946. Prior to entering the world of micronations, Vilks was an art historian and educator in art theory, earning a doctorate from Lund University before teaching at the Bergen National Academy of the Arts. This background led to the creation of two pieces of conceptual art along the Swedish coast: Nimis, a series of structures assembled from driftwood, which was begun in 1980; and Arx, a stone and concrete piece started in 1991 that was not completed until 1998. These two installations would land the artist in legal battles until at least 2004, and directly led into the declaration of the area as an independent nation called Ladonia on 2 June 1996.

Vilks was the rare breed of micronational figure who did not serve as the Head of State for the nation they founded. While he oversaw or directly handled a fair amount of the day-to-day minutiae of the nation, he did so in the permanent fixture of Ladonia’s Secretary of State, under the leadership of a monarch (who is always a Queen, never a King), and an elected Prime Minister.

In no small part due to Vilks’ efforts and guidance, Ladonia became one of the largest communities in the field of micronationalism. Nimis, and by extension Ladonia, became a tourist attraction, reportedly attracting tens of thousands of visitors each year. The location also serves as a physical site for gatherings of the large number of non-resident citizens; something that few other micronations have been able to accomplish.

While a shining study in micronationalism as both an extension of art and a form of protest, Vilks is one of only a handful of figures in the community who is likely best known for the life they lived outside of the sphere of micronationalism. An ardent advocate of free speech in art, Vilks found himself the target of violence, death threats, and at least three unsuccessful attempts on his life as a result of pieces he created in 2007. The last of these attacks occurred in Copenhagen in 2015. Vilks has been recognized by a number of organizations for his advocacy, especially in this matter.

Vilks passed away unexpectedly in 2021, killed in an automobile accident at the age of 75. While yet to be proven, many feel that Ladonia could be the next in the exceptionally rare vein of micronations to thrive after the passing of its founder.

Few nations have done more for micronationalism in the public sphere than the Royal Republic of Ladonia, which stands alongside the likes of Molossia and Sealand in terms of impact. Ladonia has been a direct factor in tens of thousands of people joining the community of micronations, either as citizens of the Royal Republic, another nation, or in the founding of their own project. The contributions made by Vilks as Ladonia’s founder and in his role as an administrator were crucial to bringing the field of micronationalism to where it is today.