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.

654 THINGS from The United States - Edward Ruscha

The bridge according to Jeong-a's dream - Koo Jeong

A FAIRLY TALL TOWER, 48,000 Miles High -  - Siah Armajani

Post Photographic apparatus - Steven Pippin

"400" - Manfred Pernice

CIVITAS Stadtpostkarten - Lothar Baumgarten

Progetto per Gerry Schum - Guiseppe Penone

"Free Space" - Michelangelo Pistoletto

Catwalk - Sylive Fleury

PROPOSAL FOR SEATTLE ARTS COMMISSION, IN PUBLIC - Chris Burden

Agency of Unrealised Projects
Logo by Liam Gillick
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Date
Title
Source
Description
Tags
W4676
26.05.2011
“WATER MOCCASIN SKIN” - Melanie Jamison
WWW
“WATER MOCCASIN SKIN” 2010 MELANIE JAMISON For the School of Latitudes program at Houston-based non-profit space labotanica, the artists in residence were asked to write a personal manifesto for growth. During this assignment, I came across a run-o ...
“WATER MOCCASIN SKIN” 2010 MELANIE JAMISON For the School of Latitudes program at Houston-based non-profit space labotanica, the artists in residence were asked to write a personal manifesto for growth. During this assignment, I came across a run-o ...
W4506
25.05.2011
The Dead Brushes Society - Paulo Patrício
WWW
The Dead Brushes Society Unrealized project for an exhibition presenting old or/and unused brushes who belong to acclaimed contemporary artists. Brushes they love or with which they did major works (or at least, representative of they're career). That du ...
The Dead Brushes Society Unrealized project for an exhibition presenting old or/and unused brushes who belong to acclaimed contemporary artists. Brushes they love or with which they did major works (or at least, representative of they're career). That du ...
W3796
18.05.2011
melissa day
WWW
Oil paintings varing sizes from 2 1/2 X 3 1/2 feet Experimenting with deliberate and accidental use of paint. Pouring paint allows a natural fluid style to occur .Then going back in these shapes and contain or control these ambiguous shapes... ...
Oil paintings varing sizes from 2 1/2 X 3 1/2 feet Experimenting with deliberate and accidental use of paint. Pouring paint allows a natural fluid style to occur .Then going back in these shapes and contain or control these ambiguous shapes... ...
W4512
25.05.2011
Viktor Timofeev
WWW
In this painting I have "created" a triumphal arch constructed out of 13 worker-housing units, stacked precariously and defying the laws of physics. While this village/monument is rendered to appear structurally sound, its context is most certainly utopia ...
In this painting I have "created" a triumphal arch constructed out of 13 worker-housing units, stacked precariously and defying the laws of physics. While this village/monument is rendered to appear structurally sound, its context is most certainly utopia ...
W3551
12.05.2011
Gretchen Smith
WWW
I started a project that focused on the idea that we all project our thoughts, beliefs, ideas and values onto those that come across our paths in our daily lives. Sometimes tihs is a positive experience and sometimes it is a negative experience. I c ...
I started a project that focused on the idea that we all project our thoughts, beliefs, ideas and values onto those that come across our paths in our daily lives. Sometimes tihs is a positive experience and sometimes it is a negative experience. I c ...
W4170
24.05.2011
BASIC STRATEGIES - Ana Sucena, Claudia Costa, Pedro Guerra
WWW
BASIC STRATEGIES Our project aims the recognition of how natural, historic, and community cycles work, and uses these aspects to emphasize our design and the technical solutions we have chosen. The house is positioned on the lot in a way that allows e ...
BASIC STRATEGIES Our project aims the recognition of how natural, historic, and community cycles work, and uses these aspects to emphasize our design and the technical solutions we have chosen. The house is positioned on the lot in a way that allows e ...
W4685
26.05.2011
Artist Statement  - barbara greene mann
WWW
Artist Statement These drawings are a new series about the ladies who shopped and shopped and lost their heads. Their necks were used as a periscope.and finally someone said, Put your money where your mouth is. Voila they became known as the Purse Heads. ...
Artist Statement These drawings are a new series about the ladies who shopped and shopped and lost their heads. Their necks were used as a periscope.and finally someone said, Put your money where your mouth is. Voila they became known as the Purse Heads. ...
W3986
21.05.2011
EMOTIONAL SPACE - sculptor PhD, Aili Vahtrapuu, disainer Janika Vesberg
WWW
Project for Venice XII International Architectural Biennale : People meet in Architecture. An interactive installation to analyse and combine the aural and the visual STATEMENT : PEOPLE MEET IN ARCHITECTURE Venice XII International Architectural ...
Project for Venice XII International Architectural Biennale : People meet in Architecture. An interactive installation to analyse and combine the aural and the visual STATEMENT : PEOPLE MEET IN ARCHITECTURE Venice XII International Architectural ...
W3988
21.05.2011
Decodification of the rituals mapping of hitchhikers to fish auction market, havana - Carolyn Leung
WWW
An architectural provocation of the Socialistic country, Cuba. Research started from hitchhiking in Havana, mapping of the behaviors of individuals. With self-interpretation and experience leads to a speculative design of a Fish Auction Market in Havana. ...
An architectural provocation of the Socialistic country, Cuba. Research started from hitchhiking in Havana, mapping of the behaviors of individuals. With self-interpretation and experience leads to a speculative design of a Fish Auction Market in Havana. ...
W4428
25.05.2011
The architectural charter - Philippe Rahm
WWW
The architectural charter Project for Vassivière, France From 2003 All the territory of Vassivière, France ...
The architectural charter Project for Vassivière, France From 2003 All the territory of Vassivière, France ...
W5178
27.09.2012
The Blue Night - Monika Goetz
WWW
Titel: The Blue Night Geplanter Standort: Westpark, München Jahr: 2011 Die Blaue Stunde ist ein poetischer Begriff für die Zeit der Dämmerung zwischen Sonnenuntergang und nächtlicher Dunkelheit, sowie für die Zeit kurz vor dem Sonnenaufgang. Rei ...
Titel: The Blue Night Geplanter Standort: Westpark, München Jahr: 2011 Die Blaue Stunde ist ein poetischer Begriff für die Zeit der Dämmerung zwischen Sonnenuntergang und nächtlicher Dunkelheit, sowie für die Zeit kurz vor dem Sonnenaufgang. Rei ...
W4996
30.08.2012
Chinese American Flag - Maarten Daudeij
WWW
(Working) Title: Chinese American Flag Artist: Maarten Daudeij (The Netherlands, Australia) Year of origination of idea: 2011 Concept: To wave a large size flag of which the design is a collage of the Chinese and the American Flag on top of the Museum ...
(Working) Title: Chinese American Flag Artist: Maarten Daudeij (The Netherlands, Australia) Year of origination of idea: 2011 Concept: To wave a large size flag of which the design is a collage of the Chinese and the American Flag on top of the Museum ...
W4348
24.05.2011
Safe Haven - Farrell Brickhouse
WWW
Farrell Brickhouse Unrealized Projects The year before 9/11 I was unable to paint in my studio and I made a series of images about The World Trade Center on handy wall calendars. I lived on West Broadway one block north of the colossal buildings that ...
Farrell Brickhouse Unrealized Projects The year before 9/11 I was unable to paint in my studio and I made a series of images about The World Trade Center on handy wall calendars. I lived on West Broadway one block north of the colossal buildings that ...
W3800
18.05.2011
Sinead McDonald
WWW
Part of a series of experimental explorations on the impact of medium and process on the reading of the photographic image, exploring the use of alternative print processes in altering viewers' responses. In using the historical processes of the cyanotyp ...
Part of a series of experimental explorations on the impact of medium and process on the reading of the photographic image, exploring the use of alternative print processes in altering viewers' responses. In using the historical processes of the cyanotyp ...
W4610
25.05.2011
Flags of Empire - Dread Scott
WWW
Flags of Empire would be a circle of flagpoles each flying a flag of a past or present empire. The flags are from the following countries: Japan, Spain (17th century flag), Nazi Germany, France, Rome (vexillum from the ancient Roman Empire), Russia, Otto ...
Flags of Empire would be a circle of flagpoles each flying a flag of a past or present empire. The flags are from the following countries: Japan, Spain (17th century flag), Nazi Germany, France, Rome (vexillum from the ancient Roman Empire), Russia, Otto ...
W4799
10.11.2011
Test
WWW
This is a test. Please ignore. ...
This is a test. Please ignore. ...
W3494
11.05.2011
The New And The Always Same: Toward New Geographies of Habit - Elvia Pyburn-Wilk
WWW
The New And The Always Same: Toward New Geographies of Habit “The street signs for our event are all hand-written. The directions are painted over signs from past events. These handwritten signs are like the bus line that no longer runs.”1 --Phili ...
The New And The Always Same: Toward New Geographies of Habit “The street signs for our event are all hand-written. The directions are painted over signs from past events. These handwritten signs are like the bus line that no longer runs.”1 --Phili ...
W4455
25.05.2011
"GLOBAL SATELLITE PROJECT" - Joaquim Pereira Eires
WWW
"GLOBAL SATELLITE PROJECT" is een eigen concept waarin satellietbeelden, een snapshot van een bepaalde tijd en omgeving, "horizontaal" worden geïntegreerd in de publieke ruimte van meestal diezelfde omgeving. De digitale basis-satellietbeelden die hiervo ...
"GLOBAL SATELLITE PROJECT" is een eigen concept waarin satellietbeelden, een snapshot van een bepaalde tijd en omgeving, "horizontaal" worden geïntegreerd in de publieke ruimte van meestal diezelfde omgeving. De digitale basis-satellietbeelden die hiervo ...
W5184
30.09.2012
Relative Music - Augustin Maurs
WWW
RELATIVE MUSIC An unrealized economy, by Augustin Maurs À propos unrealized projects, it could be amusing to consider that, in the perspective of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, almost the totality of the music written in the western cultures f ...
RELATIVE MUSIC An unrealized economy, by Augustin Maurs À propos unrealized projects, it could be amusing to consider that, in the perspective of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, almost the totality of the music written in the western cultures f ...
W4224
24.05.2011
The Hand of God - Magnus Monfeldt
WWW
The Hand of God This unrealized art project from 2005 involves casting the left hand of Escolastico Berto Mendez; a famous Diego Maradona look-a-like who has sacrificed his own identity to make a living being photographed around Buenos Aires suburb La ...
The Hand of God This unrealized art project from 2005 involves casting the left hand of Escolastico Berto Mendez; a famous Diego Maradona look-a-like who has sacrificed his own identity to make a living being photographed around Buenos Aires suburb La ...
W5203
03.10.2012
Blueprint - Peter J Hoffmeister
WWW
With the “Blueprint” series I seek to draw a new experience from the blueprint, something not normally considered for artistic purposes. My process utilizes the cyanotype print, which was the process first used to make modern blueprints beginning in. ...
With the “Blueprint” series I seek to draw a new experience from the blueprint, something not normally considered for artistic purposes. My process utilizes the cyanotype print, which was the process first used to make modern blueprints beginning in. ...
W3493
11.05.2011
SEX CHAT KARAOKE - Sally-Ann Blaise
WWW
SEX CHAT KARAOKE A Selection of TEXT collected by artist through late night sex chat rooms is printed in duplicate and arranged at the corner of a stage, upon which a small FUNK BAND is playing a GROOVE. audience participate by selecting text in tandem ...
SEX CHAT KARAOKE A Selection of TEXT collected by artist through late night sex chat rooms is printed in duplicate and arranged at the corner of a stage, upon which a small FUNK BAND is playing a GROOVE. audience participate by selecting text in tandem ...
W5399
20.10.2012
Matters of Appearance
WWW
About us: We are Matters Of Appearance, an artist group (USA/Germany). We work with language, text and performance. www.mattersofappearance.com This project (unrealized): We found this graffiti on a barn wall somewhere: "Selbst schuld" (It's ...
About us: We are Matters Of Appearance, an artist group (USA/Germany). We work with language, text and performance. www.mattersofappearance.com This project (unrealized): We found this graffiti on a barn wall somewhere: "Selbst schuld" (It's ...
W4574
25.05.2011
Flatten The Mountain Projects - Flatten The Mountain Projects
WWW
A: I liked the film idea initially. B: I'm glad you think the same. We can't sound desperate - I'm going to bed. A: Instead of a Birthday it should be a wedding where we marry together Loverage and Twice Born B: People watching us make work puts me a ...
A: I liked the film idea initially. B: I'm glad you think the same. We can't sound desperate - I'm going to bed. A: Instead of a Birthday it should be a wedding where we marry together Loverage and Twice Born B: People watching us make work puts me a ...
W3653
15.05.2011
Modular trajectories - Nikolay Zanev
WWW
Modules (15X15X15cm.) polymer, Black board The distinction of homomorphism displayed on lattice of vectors relation between groups, modules generated by one element as identity component for every one. Correspondence one by one in specifics trajectorie ...
Modules (15X15X15cm.) polymer, Black board The distinction of homomorphism displayed on lattice of vectors relation between groups, modules generated by one element as identity component for every one. Correspondence one by one in specifics trajectorie ...
W4048
22.05.2011
NESTED VOIDS: LA GROTTE DU MAS D’AZIL - Bradley Pitts
WWW
Unrealized Proposal for NESTED VOIDS: LA GROTTE DU MAS D’AZIL
 Bradley Pitts, 2010 The cave of Le Mas-d'Azil (la grotte du Mas d'Azil), FR, was one of the first prehistoric caves to yield evidence of human habitation. Its main feature is a 500-met ...
Unrealized Proposal for NESTED VOIDS: LA GROTTE DU MAS D’AZIL
 Bradley Pitts, 2010 The cave of Le Mas-d'Azil (la grotte du Mas d'Azil), FR, was one of the first prehistoric caves to yield evidence of human habitation. Its main feature is a 500-met ...