The Isle of Man, a tiny, self-governing British Crown dependency situated between Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales in the heart of the Irish Sea, features prominently in Britain’s history of scintillating storytelling. A proud population of around 80,000 Manx occupy this mythical territory, and most are keen to preserve its rich connection to traditional fairy folklore. And they’ve recently gotten some help from an outside source.
Anonymouse MMX is a Swedish art collective known for traveling the world and leaving micro-sized domestic creations in seen and unseen spaces. Tiny structures in hidden enclaves, like “the world’s smallest bookstore” and a mouse-sized antique shop, have become signature pieces of the Malmö-based group. The objective? Bringing a touch of magic to modern landscapes. And what better canvas for their latest project than the craggy hills of the Isle of Man.
In recent weeks, intricately designed castles, cottages, and other fairy-sized abodes have been appearing across the island—on beaches and in the hillsides, some more conspicuously placed than others. Made from a range of simple materials—including stone, glass, wood, even paper clips—the tiny steads are constructed in Malmö before being flown out and installed.
The resulting images showcase not only acute attention to detail (lights light up; chairs are tucked neatly into tables) but also a dedicated appreciation and respect for the surrounding area. Speaking on behalf of the group, artist Yasha Mousekewitz, says that “much of our work is trying to make sure [the structures] fit organically into the scenery.”
And while Anonymouse MMX typically works on dwellings for mice, they have slightly tweaked their mission for the Manx project to accommodate the winged creatures “native” to the land. “The idea to create tiny houses for mice has been something we’ve been working on for years now, and we felt that our mice and the fairies could exist in the same world… we like to spread a bit of everyday magic.”