Unlike unrealized architectural projects, which are frequently exhibited and circulated, unrealized artworks tend to remain unnoticed or little known. But perhaps there is another form of artistic agency in the partial expression, the incomplete idea, the projection of a mere intention? Agency of Unrealized Projects (AUP) seeks to document and display these works. Whether censored, forgotten, postponed, impossible, or rejected, unrealized projects form a unique testament to the speculative power of non-action.

AUP follows the publication entitled “Unbuilt Roads: 107 Unrealized Projects,” collated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Guy Tortosa after several years of international research conducted in the late 1990s. Twenty years later, the Agency of Unrealized Projects was formed in collaboration with Julieta Aranda and Anton Vidokle, and an open call for unrealized projects was issued for its first public exhibition at ArtBasel in 2011. The open call will continue until all unrealized art projects are compiled.

Aus: Katalog 'Kunst bleibt Kunst' - Hans Peter Feldman

MAK - Wien  - Rosemarie Trockel

Double Exposure 1995-6  - Dan Graham

d'un projet dédié aux victimes de la Shoah. - Christian Boltanski

WATERWORKS - Mona Hatoum

Brücke Wein-Kanal Arch. Hermann Czech, Wein - Franz West

Financial Times Millennium Bridge Competition - Richard Serra and Frank Gehry

Chen H.V.O + G.T. - Bertrand Lavier

Project pour le parc de sculpture de Vassiviére - Paul-Armand Gette

NON REALIZED PROJECTS - Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Agency of Unrealised Projects
Logo by Liam Gillick
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Date
Title
Source
Description
Tags
W5197
02.10.2012
Spiti - Maria Karametou
WWW
In recent times, as the urban landscape changes under the socioeconomic impact of migration and the breaking down of borders, and as uniformity precipitates a loss of individual identity and character, there is a continual process of definition and redefi ...
In recent times, as the urban landscape changes under the socioeconomic impact of migration and the breaking down of borders, and as uniformity precipitates a loss of individual identity and character, there is a continual process of definition and redefi ...
W5188
30.09.2012
‘Waiting for the Sunrise’ (To follow the light) - Betty Nigianni
WWW
‘Waiting for the Sunrise’ (To follow the light) - - Performance, digital photography, digital video, sculpture, varied dimensions (2011) Undertaken as a means for research, walking journeys in the city allowed for emerging themes, such as pilgrim ...
‘Waiting for the Sunrise’ (To follow the light) - - Performance, digital photography, digital video, sculpture, varied dimensions (2011) Undertaken as a means for research, walking journeys in the city allowed for emerging themes, such as pilgrim ...
W4261
24.05.2011
The Bridge (Installation) - Arcady Kotler
WWW
Arcady Kotler The Bridge (Installation) Installation “The Bridge” is represented by a fragile rope bridge suspended over the exhibition space from wall to wall. The ropes and strings are tied in a way that resembles the appearance of New York ...
Arcady Kotler The Bridge (Installation) Installation “The Bridge” is represented by a fragile rope bridge suspended over the exhibition space from wall to wall. The ropes and strings are tied in a way that resembles the appearance of New York ...
W3504
11.05.2011
Global Culture - ALBERTO LICANDRO
WWW
Image 1: 1000mt highrise tower on 1 column with 52 steel cables around its supporting structure visible from street level to 500mt up, where the first of its 68 floors for restaurant space (20 floors), office space (30 floors) and living space (18 floors) ...
Image 1: 1000mt highrise tower on 1 column with 52 steel cables around its supporting structure visible from street level to 500mt up, where the first of its 68 floors for restaurant space (20 floors), office space (30 floors) and living space (18 floors) ...
W3764
18.05.2011
The Children of the Divine Understanding of All (1914-?): Documentation of a Forgotten Religion - Kevin Swenson
WWW
NEW COMERS Welcome, and do not be nervous, for you will soon broaden your understandings on every aspect of this life you have been given. Children of All do things very differently. We do not focus or dwell upon the wrong things we have done; instead, w ...
NEW COMERS Welcome, and do not be nervous, for you will soon broaden your understandings on every aspect of this life you have been given. Children of All do things very differently. We do not focus or dwell upon the wrong things we have done; instead, w ...
W5453
20.10.2012
ñaña - Pablo David Rojas Mencias
WWW
Pablo David Rojas Mencias Kohlfurterstrasse 1, Berlin 10999 dadafoto@gmail.com Project Name: “ñaña” This project couldn’t be finished due to the fact that “ñaña” has passed away. In the native american language, quechua, “ñaña ...
Pablo David Rojas Mencias Kohlfurterstrasse 1, Berlin 10999 dadafoto@gmail.com Project Name: “ñaña” This project couldn’t be finished due to the fact that “ñaña” has passed away. In the native american language, quechua, “ñaña ...
U9953
01.01.1974
Temple of the western buddha (1971 Kathmedu) - Herman de Vries
Unbuilt Roads
a circle of sacred trees in the east side of the circle a flat stone as seat uder a boddhi tree (ficus religiosa). other trees in the circle: ficus bengalensis, aegle marmelos,butea frondosa,melia azadirachta,prosopis spicigera,thevetia neriifolia, sa ...
a circle of sacred trees in the east side of the circle a flat stone as seat uder a boddhi tree (ficus religiosa). other trees in the circle: ficus bengalensis, aegle marmelos,butea frondosa,melia azadirachta,prosopis spicigera,thevetia neriifolia, sa ...
W3838
19.05.2011
Nicole Mortiboys
WWW
The images submitted to AUP are pages taken from a book on how to draw cartoons. (The title of the book has been forgotten). The book was found at Central Library, whilst studying on the MA fine Art course at, Birmingham City University, Margaret S ...
The images submitted to AUP are pages taken from a book on how to draw cartoons. (The title of the book has been forgotten). The book was found at Central Library, whilst studying on the MA fine Art course at, Birmingham City University, Margaret S ...
W4339
24.05.2011
On Loan - Julie Rafalski
WWW
On Loan Proposal: The entire collection of copies (222 books) of Thomas More’s Utopia that belong to the British Library will be borrowed for a given time period.* All copies of the book will be physically removed from the library on a given ...
On Loan Proposal: The entire collection of copies (222 books) of Thomas More’s Utopia that belong to the British Library will be borrowed for a given time period.* All copies of the book will be physically removed from the library on a given ...
W3571
12.05.2011
Guardian Givers - Urban Belina
WWW
The invisible has the same importance as the visible, because the meaning is not in the material, it is in the change. The artwork dissolves its matter and its concept; when revealed it gradually diminishes over a limited time period; leaving behind only ...
The invisible has the same importance as the visible, because the meaning is not in the material, it is in the change. The artwork dissolves its matter and its concept; when revealed it gradually diminishes over a limited time period; leaving behind only ...
W3637
14.05.2011
lemeh42
WWW
Here are a couple of my two new illustrations. ...
Here are a couple of my two new illustrations. ...
W3844
19.05.2011
I want to do the laundry; or rather I want to finish the laundry - Svava Thordis Juliusson
WWW
TO: Agency of Unrealized Projects I want to do the laundry; or rather I want to finish the laundry. It is a project that poses vague theoretical and aesthetic questions, but to explore possible ways to put an end to this task could forever change the t ...
TO: Agency of Unrealized Projects I want to do the laundry; or rather I want to finish the laundry. It is a project that poses vague theoretical and aesthetic questions, but to explore possible ways to put an end to this task could forever change the t ...
U9665
01.01.1967
Unrealized Turtles 1967 - Joseph Grigely
Unbuilt Roads
Basically, a short history about why I never became an illustrator of turtles - of wild animals - or of anything else At Birchland Park School, Mrs. Donahue taught art and Mrs. Corliss taught music. The art classes were okay because I drew turtles all ...
Basically, a short history about why I never became an illustrator of turtles - of wild animals - or of anything else At Birchland Park School, Mrs. Donahue taught art and Mrs. Corliss taught music. The art classes were okay because I drew turtles all ...
W10927
20.06.2015
If all the waves can be saved - Yifei He
WWW
One room, one chair with endless waves. I want to put waves into one space, it will end at the middle of the space, put one chair towards the waves . People can not step twice into the same river, and people also can not meet the very same two waves. ...
One room, one chair with endless waves. I want to put waves into one space, it will end at the middle of the space, put one chair towards the waves . People can not step twice into the same river, and people also can not meet the very same two waves. ...
W4712
26.05.2011
LISTE ROUGE [MEMORIAL FOR THE DISAPPEARED]  - spmb [Eduardo Aquino & Karen Shanski]
WWW
LISTE ROUGE [MEMORIAL FOR THE DISAPPEARED] is a proposal by spmb for the City of Geneva’s 2011 Neons Competition. Starting from the observation that the Geneva Ecological Region has lost seven flower species to urban development in the past decades, we ...
LISTE ROUGE [MEMORIAL FOR THE DISAPPEARED] is a proposal by spmb for the City of Geneva’s 2011 Neons Competition. Starting from the observation that the Geneva Ecological Region has lost seven flower species to urban development in the past decades, we ...
W5199
03.10.2012
Social Walls - David Averbuch
WWW
Social Walls™ A Proposal for an Environmental Sculpture 25 November 2013 David Averbuch This proposed artwork has just four walls in a square shape, yet it represents a new idea. Each wall will be divided into small equal areas, henceforth calle ...
Social Walls™ A Proposal for an Environmental Sculpture 25 November 2013 David Averbuch This proposed artwork has just four walls in a square shape, yet it represents a new idea. Each wall will be divided into small equal areas, henceforth calle ...
U9759
06.04.1997
Monument to Democracy - Kounellis
Unbuilt Roads
La scultura doveva essere posata davanti alla nuova ala del parlamento olandese di Den Haag. Sono partito dalla struttura ampia, di grande presenza, degll fumaioli che si vedevano sui tetto del vecchio parlamento. Questa strutture architectonica era diven ...
La scultura doveva essere posata davanti alla nuova ala del parlamento olandese di Den Haag. Sono partito dalla struttura ampia, di grande presenza, degll fumaioli che si vedevano sui tetto del vecchio parlamento. Questa strutture architectonica era diven ...
W4553
25.05.2011
Roc Parés
WWW
Self-disassembling Robot: Designing and building a robot which consists of the parts, functions and behaviors strictly necessary to develop its only task: self-disassembly. After its one-and-only performance, this robot will stop working (being) as a cons ...
Self-disassembling Robot: Designing and building a robot which consists of the parts, functions and behaviors strictly necessary to develop its only task: self-disassembly. After its one-and-only performance, this robot will stop working (being) as a cons ...
W4449
25.05.2011
20 Years After  - Xavier Rayuela
WWW
20 Years After As a par-time AIDS activist and militant, I decided to create an event to celebrate "A Day Without Art" by proposing an intervention / intrusion and re-staging residuals of my previous events related to AIDS. As an artist I was always fa ...
20 Years After As a par-time AIDS activist and militant, I decided to create an event to celebrate "A Day Without Art" by proposing an intervention / intrusion and re-staging residuals of my previous events related to AIDS. As an artist I was always fa ...
W4525
25.05.2011
Boxing Meese - Nadja Verena Marcin
WWW
Boxing Meese _ Nadja Verena Marcin _ 2006 This poster with the written information, see below, was papered all over the Auguststrasse in Berlin-Mitte in 2006. Du bist angeklagt! Du hast Herrn Blum beleidigt! Herr Blum ist unschuldig!... Gesicht zeigen ...
Boxing Meese _ Nadja Verena Marcin _ 2006 This poster with the written information, see below, was papered all over the Auguststrasse in Berlin-Mitte in 2006. Du bist angeklagt! Du hast Herrn Blum beleidigt! Herr Blum ist unschuldig!... Gesicht zeigen ...
W3611
13.05.2011
Atanas Atanasoski
WWW
W5095
12.09.2012
(un)realized words - Kathryn Hummel
WWW
(un)realized words Kathryn Hummel (un)realized words is an installation combining photographs and paper objects (used and new) to form an interactive work out of a variety of incomplete/in-progress elements. I do not recall at what age I first began ...
(un)realized words Kathryn Hummel (un)realized words is an installation combining photographs and paper objects (used and new) to form an interactive work out of a variety of incomplete/in-progress elements. I do not recall at what age I first began ...
W4422
25.05.2011
Drew Denny
WWW
After being diagnosed with a deadly brain tumor, I designed this architectural rendering for my brain as a house. I would construct an installation of my Brain House so that I might lead audiences through it as I perform my memories, fantasies, dreams ...
After being diagnosed with a deadly brain tumor, I designed this architectural rendering for my brain as a house. I would construct an installation of my Brain House so that I might lead audiences through it as I perform my memories, fantasies, dreams ...
W5032
31.08.2012
Peter Friedl
WWW
When Roger M. Buergel was appointed artistic director of documenta 12, I was asked to develop some ideas for the visual design of d12. I quickly started with research work at the documenta archives in Kassel. Due to ill communication it didn't make much s ...
When Roger M. Buergel was appointed artistic director of documenta 12, I was asked to develop some ideas for the visual design of d12. I quickly started with research work at the documenta archives in Kassel. Due to ill communication it didn't make much s ...
W4614
25.05.2011
Art Forum - Cornford & Cross
WWW
Review of Unrealized projects by Cornford & Cross Rachel Withers Art Forum Jan 2003 ...
Review of Unrealized projects by Cornford & Cross Rachel Withers Art Forum Jan 2003 ...
W4681
26.05.2011
Heads in Starlight - TARO ZORRILLA
WWW
Heads in Starlight, a closing event, for Feel Felt (see background on page 2) night performance for up to 100. We bring pre-cut unassembled tall paper-cone hats and on site we thread tall grass stalks and fine light-optic cables through the tips of the h ...
Heads in Starlight, a closing event, for Feel Felt (see background on page 2) night performance for up to 100. We bring pre-cut unassembled tall paper-cone hats and on site we thread tall grass stalks and fine light-optic cables through the tips of the h ...