On August 30, 2003, Robert Jelinek formed a micronation called The State of Sabotage (SoS). The name derived from a series of projects as an art/music label and artist collective until the State of Sabotage was formed after Jelinek began investigating micronations. After four years of acquiring land in Finland, Australia, Czech Republic and Austria, Jelinek has created a state recognized internationally by over 40 countries, with its own constitution, flag, currency, passports and national anthem. With 650 acres of territory and over 8,000 citizens, it is hard to believe that this was the work of a conceptual artist. Jelink’s “art state” is devoted to the preservation and elevation of culture above economy. Though the state officially holds territories, Jelinek regards SoS as a territorial phantom, everywhere and nowhere at once, but composed of “nomad-izing and de-territorializing” citizens. By bridging the gap between art and nation, Jelinek has successfully navigated the processes and bureaucracies that divide “collectives” and “nationhood” in what is perhaps one of the most ambitious conceptual art projects in human history.
- Eli Horwatt
Interview with Robert Jelinek
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