Secrecy

Jill Magid’s “Authority to Remove” marked the last chapter with artists involved with the Dutch Secret Service. Her work is particularly moving because the Secret Service in and of itself is an intriguing organization. To adhere to budget obligations, the Dutch Secret Service asked Magid to create a piece of work for one of their facilities. Magid agreed to do this and explored the themes of secrecy by delving into the complex layers of fact, fiction, and role playing inherent to a government intelligence agency. She interviewed various secret agents to learn more about the organization. Her interactions were similar to those you would see in a James Bond movie: meeting in a public place, not knowing the face you are meeting, and then being tapped on the shoulder by a complete stranger. Magid conversed with the agents sometimes for hours. She pointed out that the agents appreciated the interaction. The agents saw Magid as an escape from their lives of secrecy. However, Magid realized agent interaction was not welcome by the bureaucrats, who saw her work as a threat to the organization's role as an intellegence agency. This is because, as the agents noted, a revelation of their identities would “burn their face” and thus endanger any missions implemented by the Dutch Secret Service.