unbound – footprints of europe

National boundaries are supposed to be treated with respect; they define a ‘difference’.
But across Europe, its enclaves upend this notion and at times seem subversive and unruly.

‘Unbound’ combines multi-layered narratives to explore the complexity of a patchwork of enclaved territories across Europe in terms of their geographies, borders and symbolism, and people. 

Representing footprints from the history of Europe, they reveal the fluidity of national identity and sovereignty, whilst demonstrating how we adapt to complex and often unusual circumstances. Whether it’s through economic opportunities, legal adaptations, or cultural blending, they challenge the conventional understanding of borders and encourage us to think more flexibly. Although seen by many as a complication, they offer insights where differing nationalities, laws, administrations and people work together to overcome differences and absurdities and provide practical local solutions.

These enclaves—small pieces of one country entirely surrounded by another and situated across national boundaries, can be found in France (Llivia, Spain), Belgium (Monschau, Germany and Baarle-Nassau, Netherlands), Netherlands (Baarle-Hertog, Belgium), Switzerland (Büsingen, Germany and Campione d’Italia, Italy) and Germany (Jungholz, Austria), Cyprus (Dheklia Sovereign Base Area, UK) and Slovenia (Brezovika, Croatia).