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.

Why New Worlds Conceived by Artists Do Not Get Built - Peter Fend

Untitled, modeled after the Leipzig Völkerschlachtdenkmal...  - Jenny Holzer

2 Architecture Towers - Robert Irwin

Eislandschaft - P. Fischli und D. Weiss

Progetto per Gerry Schum - Guiseppe Penone

Aguapracasa - Gabriel Orozco

PROPOSALl + VOORSTEL - Guillame Bijl

119. PROJET DE DESTRUCTION DU MUSEE 1970 - 1971 - Jef Geys

Unrealized Projects - Jonas Meckas

Catwalk - Sylive Fleury

Agency of Unrealised Projects
Logo by Liam Gillick
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Date
Title
Source
Description
Tags
W5409
20.10.2012
Sharon Bareket
WWW
A series of photographic works made during 2012 by photographer Sharon Bareket, dealing with the invasion of a military dimension into the civilian, private dimension. The images evoke themes that are local and universal at the same time, and depict a ...
A series of photographic works made during 2012 by photographer Sharon Bareket, dealing with the invasion of a military dimension into the civilian, private dimension. The images evoke themes that are local and universal at the same time, and depict a ...
W4249
24.05.2011
Experiment 11 (Scheme for ensuring posterity) - Aylwin Greenwood-Lambert
WWW
Introduction to Experiment 11 (Scheme for ensuring posterity) Experiment 11 was a project based around the idea of attempting to ensure my posterity via the production of time capsules containing evidence that would give those discovering them the impr ...
Introduction to Experiment 11 (Scheme for ensuring posterity) Experiment 11 was a project based around the idea of attempting to ensure my posterity via the production of time capsules containing evidence that would give those discovering them the impr ...
W4744
26.05.2011
Gema Alava
WWW
Glenn D. Lowry Director The Museum of Modern Art 11 West 53rd Street New York, NY 10019 January 20, 2009 Dear Glenn, The best way I can think of introducing myself after the brief conversation with you tonight is to say that, ...
Glenn D. Lowry Director The Museum of Modern Art 11 West 53rd Street New York, NY 10019 January 20, 2009 Dear Glenn, The best way I can think of introducing myself after the brief conversation with you tonight is to say that, ...
W4524
25.05.2011
Star Museum in Sharjah - Star Museum in Sharjah by A12
WWW
Star Museum in Sharjah by A12 Our proposal for Sharjah Art Foundation Production Programme was to build a temporary pavilion to host the first stage of the Star Museum, a travelling museum dedicated to the stars. The stars in this museum are not inten ...
Star Museum in Sharjah by A12 Our proposal for Sharjah Art Foundation Production Programme was to build a temporary pavilion to host the first stage of the Star Museum, a travelling museum dedicated to the stars. The stars in this museum are not inten ...
W4384
25.05.2011
Baiju Parthan
WWW
'SYNCYTIUM / COSMOPOLIS' (An unrealized project from 2008 ) The project is an attempt to suggest that 'identity' is not a monolithic immutable asset, but a very granular and dynamic feedback system, a ceaseless process that continually emit and absor ...
'SYNCYTIUM / COSMOPOLIS' (An unrealized project from 2008 ) The project is an attempt to suggest that 'identity' is not a monolithic immutable asset, but a very granular and dynamic feedback system, a ceaseless process that continually emit and absor ...
W4748
27.05.2011
Retail Therapy - Double A Projects (A. Robles & A. Stein)
WWW
PROPOSAL Title of project: Retail Therapy By: Athena Robles and Anna Stein (aka Double A Projects) Similar to our public project Global Free Store, Retail Therapy is a non-commercial storefront and exhibition that would offer various service ...
PROPOSAL Title of project: Retail Therapy By: Athena Robles and Anna Stein (aka Double A Projects) Similar to our public project Global Free Store, Retail Therapy is a non-commercial storefront and exhibition that would offer various service ...
W4538
25.05.2011
G.R. and M.F. for Le C.C.C.
WWW
Cher A.U.P., nous abordons ces côtes optiques par cette lettre intraduisible pour essayer de décrocher un peu d'argent, ou du moins poursuivre notre existence momentanée par votre lecture profane. Ayant montré un intérêt pour les projets irré ...
Cher A.U.P., nous abordons ces côtes optiques par cette lettre intraduisible pour essayer de décrocher un peu d'argent, ou du moins poursuivre notre existence momentanée par votre lecture profane. Ayant montré un intérêt pour les projets irré ...
W5346
18.10.2012
Lisa Bateman
WWW
An installation of public smell (ocean, brine, tar, old fish) -housed inside an abandoned parking shack at the site of the old Fulton Fish Market, NYC. Smell is emitted from a DMX HVAC scent through the fence and into public space. ...
An installation of public smell (ocean, brine, tar, old fish) -housed inside an abandoned parking shack at the site of the old Fulton Fish Market, NYC. Smell is emitted from a DMX HVAC scent through the fence and into public space. ...
W5087
10.09.2012
Theâtre (theatre) - Vincent Roumagnac / Aurélie Pétrel / le vrac
WWW
In April 2012 Roumagnac gets from the directors of L!Elysée (theatre – Lyon, France) to proceed the whitening of their whole theatre (stage + audience space). Through this whitening Roumagnac aims to «"reveal"» the illusion of the disappearence of th ...
In April 2012 Roumagnac gets from the directors of L!Elysée (theatre – Lyon, France) to proceed the whitening of their whole theatre (stage + audience space). Through this whitening Roumagnac aims to «"reveal"» the illusion of the disappearence of th ...
W4884
10.08.2012
Magazine: 2012 - Caroline Jaine
WWW
Magazine: 2012 is the first exhibition not to be held at the newly acquired Serpentine Sackler Gallery. The show features works by British artists Janice Wilkins and Caroline Jaine and includes: Anonymising the Magazine, Free Libyan Youth, Chromakey, Ico ...
Magazine: 2012 is the first exhibition not to be held at the newly acquired Serpentine Sackler Gallery. The show features works by British artists Janice Wilkins and Caroline Jaine and includes: Anonymising the Magazine, Free Libyan Youth, Chromakey, Ico ...
W3913
20.05.2011
Project Title: 10 Museums of Mental Objects (MoMOs) - Judy Freya Sibayan
WWW
I am proposing a performance to establish 10 Museums of Mental Objects. Founded in 2002 by Judy Freya Sibayan and Matt Price, MoMO is a “performance art museum for life.” At present, Price and Sibayan are the curators of and are the Museum of Mental O ...
I am proposing a performance to establish 10 Museums of Mental Objects. Founded in 2002 by Judy Freya Sibayan and Matt Price, MoMO is a “performance art museum for life.” At present, Price and Sibayan are the curators of and are the Museum of Mental O ...
W5229
08.10.2012
Rebecca king
WWW
Rebecca King RebeccakingArt@yahoo.co.uk RebeccaKingArt.co.uk I studied Fine Art Printmaking at the University of Brighton. I am constantly documenting my experiences in urban surroundings by taking photos, drawing and collecting imagery. These will ...
Rebecca King RebeccakingArt@yahoo.co.uk RebeccaKingArt.co.uk I studied Fine Art Printmaking at the University of Brighton. I am constantly documenting my experiences in urban surroundings by taking photos, drawing and collecting imagery. These will ...
W4889
10.08.2012
Outpost - Ann Messner
WWW
Call me mad. During 2005-7 I built a place within a place in my studio, in effect I occupied the space with a work that came to be titled 'outpost'. I just assumed I would find a public site to temporarily install the work; more specifically an open civic ...
Call me mad. During 2005-7 I built a place within a place in my studio, in effect I occupied the space with a work that came to be titled 'outpost'. I just assumed I would find a public site to temporarily install the work; more specifically an open civic ...
W4016
22.05.2011
UNVEIL - Alessandro Rolandi
WWW
action-performance for Caochangdi Village project, spring 2011 1) With the help of several artists and local people from Caochangdi village,the message would be spread around of an artistic action involving the local people 2) After having bought arou ...
action-performance for Caochangdi Village project, spring 2011 1) With the help of several artists and local people from Caochangdi village,the message would be spread around of an artistic action involving the local people 2) After having bought arou ...
W5454
20.10.2012
UNTITLED - Sonia Foder
WWW
UNTITLED It was supposed to be a long-term project. I dreamed about it for long time. Portrait photography is one of the biggest challenges in photography. Photographers identity and relational dynamics between photographer and model are crucial. Por ...
UNTITLED It was supposed to be a long-term project. I dreamed about it for long time. Portrait photography is one of the biggest challenges in photography. Photographers identity and relational dynamics between photographer and model are crucial. Por ...
W3984
21.05.2011
Erin Leland
WWW
My professor photographed me when I was younger and later gave me 3,000 out of a group of 10,000 pictures for my own use. When he died without a will, his two sons found our printed images scattered in the home and the digital images in a number of hard d ...
My professor photographed me when I was younger and later gave me 3,000 out of a group of 10,000 pictures for my own use. When he died without a will, his two sons found our printed images scattered in the home and the digital images in a number of hard d ...
W5314
17.10.2012
Panikon deima - Cynthia Reynolds
WWW
An unrealized electrostatic installation Below is part of a detailed proposal prepared for me by an organometallic chemist I contacted via the Internet in 2005 and corresponded with over a two-year period. He had a website expressing a personal interes ...
An unrealized electrostatic installation Below is part of a detailed proposal prepared for me by an organometallic chemist I contacted via the Internet in 2005 and corresponded with over a two-year period. He had a website expressing a personal interes ...
W4311
24.05.2011
A contemporary folk dance  - Adam Lewin
WWW
A contemporary folk dance with mobility scooters. It has been a long tog time dream of mine to do a choreographed performance of the handicapped utilizing mobility scooters whilst filming it overhead in the style of a Busby Berkeley film. ...
A contemporary folk dance with mobility scooters. It has been a long tog time dream of mine to do a choreographed performance of the handicapped utilizing mobility scooters whilst filming it overhead in the style of a Busby Berkeley film. ...
U9478
01.01.1984
Projets non réalisés: - Daniel Buren
Unbuilt Roads
La liste non exhaustive qui suit correspond une á série de projets qui n'ont pas abouti. Ils sont de plusieurs types et les raisons de leur non aboutissement sont également différentes. Tout d'abord, tous sont liés des situations précises et dict ...
La liste non exhaustive qui suit correspond une á série de projets qui n'ont pas abouti. Ils sont de plusieurs types et les raisons de leur non aboutissement sont également différentes. Tout d'abord, tous sont liés des situations précises et dict ...
W4826
07.08.2012
Fake It ‘Til You Make It - Sean Montgomery and Eric Simon
WWW
Sean Montgomery and Eric Simon - Fake It ‘Til You Make It Artist Biographies Omark van Pechstein Though van Pechstein has a genius-level intellect, an excellent memory and a profound gift for sculpture, for most of his life he worked as a janitor a ...
Sean Montgomery and Eric Simon - Fake It ‘Til You Make It Artist Biographies Omark van Pechstein Though van Pechstein has a genius-level intellect, an excellent memory and a profound gift for sculpture, for most of his life he worked as a janitor a ...
W3478
11.05.2011
Tur Dearg (Red Tower) - Joaquin Gasgonia Palencia
WWW
Like many boys, I grew up on kings and queens, knights and castles. There is always a horse to ride, a dragon to slay, a princess to save from the evil baron, and yes, there is always the magic of the druids and the sorcerers. Despite everything that Ir ...
Like many boys, I grew up on kings and queens, knights and castles. There is always a horse to ride, a dragon to slay, a princess to save from the evil baron, and yes, there is always the magic of the druids and the sorcerers. Despite everything that Ir ...
W5440
20.10.2012
Live Baghdad Live London - Mo Abd-Ulla
WWW
With the beginning of the Blitz, the ‘home front’ became an important subject…two civilians were soon instigated to record the events in order not to forget. Live Baghdad Live London is a long-term project, conceptually and structurally based on ...
With the beginning of the Blitz, the ‘home front’ became an important subject…two civilians were soon instigated to record the events in order not to forget. Live Baghdad Live London is a long-term project, conceptually and structurally based on ...
W4911
14.08.2012
Curricula vitae - Joseph Redwood-Martinez
WWW
Curricula vitae Elective ethnic studies programs throughout the state of Arizona have been under intense scrutiny since 2010, when Governor Jan Brewer signed HB 2281 into law, forbidding public or charter schools from offering at any grade level course ...
Curricula vitae Elective ethnic studies programs throughout the state of Arizona have been under intense scrutiny since 2010, when Governor Jan Brewer signed HB 2281 into law, forbidding public or charter schools from offering at any grade level course ...
W5444
20.10.2012
The Ghost Room - Veronika Gorelik
WWW
27 crates 6 tones of amber--13000 pounds 10 years to construct baroque music-bach It is around 8 evening--precisely when all black tie art and social events start around a metropolitan city. Not unlike any of these type of events -many people gather ...
27 crates 6 tones of amber--13000 pounds 10 years to construct baroque music-bach It is around 8 evening--precisely when all black tie art and social events start around a metropolitan city. Not unlike any of these type of events -many people gather ...
W4597
25.05.2011
"IN MEMORY OF THE (UNKNOWN) VICTIMS OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE". - Alexander Vaindorf
WWW
"IN MEMORY OF THE (UNKNOWN) VICTIMS OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE". Full scale model for the monument in Gyumri, Armenia The work was shown at the Gyumri Biennale 2008 ...
"IN MEMORY OF THE (UNKNOWN) VICTIMS OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE". Full scale model for the monument in Gyumri, Armenia The work was shown at the Gyumri Biennale 2008 ...
W4244
24.05.2011
Hophornbeam Hill - McKendree Key
WWW
Hophornbeam Hill From August 2nd - September 3rd, 2009, I lived in the woods in Vermont on a hillside known locally as Hophornbeam Hill. ...
Hophornbeam Hill From August 2nd - September 3rd, 2009, I lived in the woods in Vermont on a hillside known locally as Hophornbeam Hill. ...