The making of the Allure of the Archive – an index of assemblies by Art (&) Currency: Institute of Vanishing Principles and Spells, 2013–2014

This index takes account of the activities of a research unit, Art (&) Currency: Institute of Vanishing Principles and Spells (A&C). An assembly around a publishing practice, A&C ‘disputes things’ and operates as a minimal collective, a group of researchers from various disciplines with a focus on maintaining a malleable, strategically transformative body of agents within and beyond the institution. Indicating an Institute of Vanishing … the future of A&C is yet unclear; there are murmurs it has already abandoned its formal meetings. The headquarters have not provided a public statement about the current status of the assembly. Given this uncertain, oblique situation, the plan for designing a record of the procedures in 2013 is now in the process of being realized. This ‘taking stock of’ not only embodies the method of ‘archiving’, but also discretely brings in a dispute around ‘The Allure of the Archive’, a significant theme for all A&C members, see also Figure 1.