*"Sealand" is an abandoned gun platform
in the North Sea whose squatters decided
to declare it an "independent nation."
This tactic was supposed to allow them
to get up to all kinds of highly lucrative
Internet mischief.
*These Dutch designers at "Meta Haven"
decided that Sealand needed some jazzier,
better-designed graphic branding efforts,
so they have pitched right in.
From: [email protected]
Subject: Dutch design proposal for Sealand's data haven
Date: April 12, 2004 9:58:30 AM CDT
Dear Bruce Sterling,
Since November, 2003, Dutch research think tank 'Meta Haven' has been working on a series of symbols, coins, stamps and logos for the Principality of Sealand, a mini-state situated on a man-made island near the British coast and the world's first 'data haven'. The aim of these propositions, brought together now in an exclusive online pre-release, is to open up a set of associations to Sealand and its relation to the Internet.
The 'Jewel Box', as the proposal is called, consists of found images,
weaved together into symbols with a narrative relation to the history and meaning of Sealand. The different designs go into such notions as islands and utopias, scandals in the network economy, piracy, search engines, fraudulent representations of the Principality and their alleged connections, and a mathematical figure resembling Sealand's host platform.
The design team, consisting of graphic designers Vinca Kruk, Adriaan Mellegers and Daniel van der Velden, and architecture firm Next Architects, states that their 'Jewel Box' is to open new possibilities in the symbolic realm.
In May/June 2004, Meta Haven's strategic plans will be due, dealing with community and branding issues.
Meta Haven's 'Jewel Box' is pre-released on the Internet to deliberately interfere with the web-based Sealand phenomenon.
The Principality of Sealand, claiming a sovereign status as a country, is well-known for its data haven or 'informational darkroom', established four years ago on the initiative of Ryan Lackey, Sean and Jo Hastings of HavenCo. By 2003, HavenCo's founding partners had left the company which is now lead by Sealand's Crown Prince Michael.
The Meta Haven design team regards its proposals as a method to develop a visual mythology for the Principality of Sealand. Reactions from the community interested in internet havens and informational liberty are most
welcome at [email protected]
—
http://www.metahaven.net
—
Meta Haven: Sealand Identity Project
Amsterdam Office
Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 36
NL 1017 DG Amsterdam
The Netherlands
phone + 31 (0)6 24276797
fax +31 (0)20 6226792
e-mail [email protected]
Maastricht Office
Jan van Eyck Academie
Academieplein 1
6211 KM Maastricht
The Netherlands
phone + (0)6 48316543
e-mail [email protected]
The Meta Haven: Sealand Identity Project is carried our with the generous support of the Jan van Eyck Academie, postgraduate research institute for art, design and theory, Maastricht, The Netherlands
