The Art of Open Secrets : obfuscating practices and conspicuous withdrawal in the luxury freeport

Abstract: The thesis explores various forms of obfuscation and pays particular attention to the role of conspicuous withdrawal. One market actor that embodies such withdrawal is the Luxury Freeport Warehouse. A place where art can be safely stored but also traded in a legal lacuna which makes both the artworks and the transactions of them non-susceptible to tax liabilities. Since the freeport rescinds large swaths of artworks and transactions from the open market, it can be seen as a‘redactive device’ which produces present absences that affect the market. The thesis explores how this conspicuous withdrawal contributes to the maintenance of open secrets. Contrary to common approaches to secrecy, the open secret shows that much knowledge can be hidden in plain sight. This requires an active maintenance that keeps the secret at the verge of exposure – producing intricate tensions. Through these tensions the open secret helps to balance the interplay between the sacred and profane, ultimately making the mundane excruciatingly elusive.