unbound

Enclaves—small pieces of one country entirely surrounded by another and situated across national boundaries—show that borders are not only fluid but often the result of history, political negotiation, cultural adaptation and accidental decisions.

They provide lessons about the malleability of borders, the complexities of sovereignty, and how these unique regions challenge our understanding of national identity and governance.

Enclaves reveal the fluidity of national identity and sovereignty, whilst demonstrating how humans 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.

‘Unbound’ explores this patchwork of territories in terms of their geographies, identities, borders and symbolism, across the remaining enclaves 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 (Dhekla, UK) and Slovenia (Brezovika, Croatia).

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. To some, these enclaves symbolise mini–European Unions, with different nationalities and administrations working together.