Provoking Freeport Magic: Art Assemblage in Late Capitalism

What is magic – and what can it do? In this book, Jessica Backsell investigates the magic of the art world and culture’s persistent tendency to present art as emblematic of an alternative value system. Using the empirical example of the freeport – luxury storage facilities where valuable artworks are kept for preservation and tax purposes – Backsell examines the implications of viewing the art world through its contingent entanglements and practices. Focusing on the contested space of the freeport, Backsell engages with the enduring “culture versus capitalism” debate. She challenges the notion of magic as an innate, mysterious force, instead proposing it as a practice—a vital yet overlooked component of the curatorial toolkit. This practice, which she terms “conspicuous withdrawal,” is central to how art is positioned and understood today.