ZaqistanZaq Landsberg
Extant
Utah, United States
2005 to current day
Open to the public, but the site is very remote and requires ample preparation.
About the Artist/Site
Founded in 2005 by President Zaq Landsberg, Zaqistan is a micronation governing two acres of (formerly) northwestern Utah desert purchased via eBay for $610. Zaqistan explores themes of autonomy, legitimacy, and nation-building. Declared independent from the United States on November 19, 2005, Zaqistan features several notable sculptures, some of which are surviving the harsh desert conditions better than others.
Landsberg originally purchased the land as an effort to "own a piece of the American West before it is all gone," later reflecting Landsberg’s response to political and social turbulence in the U.S. during the early 2000s. "It was a dark time politically for America," he said. “Being the brash 20 year-old that I was, I figured I could run a country better than these clowns.”
Landsberg’s artistic philosophy centers on creating "things that look like other things," blurring the lines between reality and absurdity, and challenging conventional notions of legitimacy and nationhood. Zaqistani passports, monuments, and embassies embody this approach -- being technically-politically-legitimate objects of a technically-politically-legitimate nation. “Zaqistan is real,” Landsberg asserts. “These are real monuments, even if they’re completely ridiculous. Zaqistani passports are real. They’re not fake or counterfeit. They exist. They’re simply not-quite-legitimate things existing in a legitimate space.”
Sources:
- https://hyperallergic.com/251425/welcome-to-zaqistan-an-artist-run-republic-in-the-utah-desert/
- https://www.nydailynews.com/2015/11/01/welcome-to-zaqistan-new-york-artist-founds-his-own-nation-in-utah-desert-and-keeps-it-going-for-a-decade/
Materials
Metal, wood
Map & Site Information
us
Latitude/Longitude: 41.744671 / -113.111693
Nearby Environments
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