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.

Jaakko Rustanius is an artist, writer, curator and the director of HIAP (Helsinki International Artist in Residence Program). His art practice extends broadly through video, photography and drawing.

In this interview Rustanius discusses how Helsinki artists navigate the boundaries between gallery space and public space. Blending his experience volunteering with a local artist-run centre and directing a major granting body, Rustanius explores how Finland’s arts funding structure (artists pay to show in galleries and grants are understood as subsidizing this fee) informs the ways art is shown in Helsinki. This discussion extends to art-making in public spaces and the limits imposed by public opinion of how this space should be used. Rustanius also presents theories on why Helsinki’s contemporary art scene successfully attracts international artists and art audiences.