Miriam Wiskemann, a 27-year-old art student, will take on the role of caretaker for a small, uninhabited island near the coast of Sweden starting next Monday. The island, called Marsten, is a popular spot for kayakers and paddle boarders during the warmer months but is primarily home to a colony of cormorants for most of the year.
Miriam was selected as one of the lucky winners of a competition organized by Visit Sweden, and she will hold the title until June 2027. This initiative by Visit Sweden aims to highlight that true luxury lies in time, space, and balance rather than excess.
Along with four other global winners, Miriam will receive a one-year right-of-use agreement for the island and a travel voucher worth 20,000 Swedish krona (about £1,590). Notably, the prize does not include the option for permanent residency since there are no structures on the island.
Originally from Dusseldorf, Germany, Miriam is an art student at Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design. She expressed her excitement about the journey to Marsten, where she plans to gather inspiration for her final illustration project as part of her degree. Describing the trip as the ultimate reward, Miriam, who has previously lived in Sweden, praised the country’s relaxed lifestyle compared to Germany.
Cycling around the island and immersing herself in the natural surroundings, Miriam expects the experience to greatly influence her art. She highlighted the inspiration drawn from Sweden’s nature and the distinct seasonal changes that have always fueled her creativity.
Marsten is located in a group of islands approximately four miles off the western coast of Sweden. With Sweden boasting more than 267,000 islands, the competition aimed to shed light on these hidden treasures and promote their unique beauty.
VisitSweden’s “Your Swedish Island” campaign attracted nearly 2,500 applications from 100 countries. The other winners, representing Canada, the US, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, will each oversee their own remote island for the upcoming year.
