In a unique opportunity, 27-year-old art student Miriam Wiskemann is set to take on the role of caretaker for a small uninhabited island near the coast of Sweden starting next Monday. The island, known as Marsten, measures just 180 by 50 meters and is a popular spot for kayakers and paddle boarders during the summer months. However, for the majority of the year, it is home to a colony of cormorants.
Miriam, one of the lucky winners of a competition organized by Visit Sweden, will have exclusive rights to the island until June 2027. The competition, as stated on Visit Sweden’s website, aimed to highlight that true luxury is not about extravagance but about time, space, and balance.
Alongside four other winners from different parts of the world, Miriam will receive a one-year right-of-use agreement for the island and a travel voucher worth 20,000 Swedish krona, approximately £1,590. It is important to note that the prize does not include permanent residency as there are no permanent structures on the island.
Miriam, currently pursuing her art studies, plans to visit Marsten in September to seek inspiration for her final illustration project as part of her degree. She emphasized that the true reward lies in the journey to the island itself.
Originally from Dusseldorf, Germany, Miriam is studying at the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design. She expressed her desire to pursue a master’s degree in Stockholm, Sweden’s capital, in the future.
Having lived in Sweden for a year, Miriam shared with the German news agency dpa her appreciation for the relaxed pace of life in Sweden compared to Germany. She mentioned that the trip to the island will be her primary focus for the remainder of the term.
During her time on Marsten, Miriam plans to explore the island by cycling and draw inspiration from the natural surroundings. She believes that the experience of traveling to the island will significantly impact her artistic endeavors.
Marsten is located in a group of islands approximately four miles off the western coast of Sweden. With Sweden boasting over 267,000 islands along its shores, the competition aimed to shed light on these hidden treasures.
The “Your Swedish Island” campaign by VisitSweden attracted nearly 2,500 entries from 100 countries worldwide. The other winners come from Canada, the United States, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, each set to be guardians of their own remote island for the upcoming year.
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