unbound

 Some political units (countries) have non-contiguous territories, and, in some, part of the country is separate and completely surrounded by another country. These are enclaves. Across Europe there are over forty such enclaves.  Each with its own history, stories and curiosities. 

Unbound explores this patchwork of enclaves in terms of their geographies, identities and borders and draws upon symbolism and archival materials. To date the project has covered European enclaves in France (Llivia, Spain), Belgium (Monschau, Germany and Baarle-Nassau, Netherlands), Netherlands (Baarle-Hertog, Belgium), Switzerland (Büsingen, Germany) and Germany (Jungholz, Austria), with others planned.

Although seen by many as a complication, they offer insights where differing nationalities, laws, administrations and people work together to provide practical local solutions. To some, these enclaves symbolise mini European Unions, with different nationalities and administrations working together.  In that sense they represent the antithesis of the United Kingdom’s Brexit.