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.

Proposal for a permanent video installation for the NYC headquarters of Sony Corporation - Dara Birnbaum

Tower Cranes, Paris  - Tadashi Kawamata

The lmprobable Flow - Larry Bell

Progetto per Gerry Schum - Guiseppe Penone

Messages to the Public - Nancy Spero

Grand Concours International D'Architecture  - Mahe Gilles

City Hall Tower Night Ilumination - Krysztof Wodiczko

Monumento all'agricoltura 1969-70 - Alighiero Boetti

"Ileana, I love you" - Maurizo Cattelan

Passage - Richard Wentworth

Agency of Unrealised Projects
Logo by Liam Gillick
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Date
Title
Source
Description
Tags
W4344
24.05.2011
Proposal for installation March 2010 - John Kenny
WWW
Proposal for installation March 2010 ...
Proposal for installation March 2010 ...
W4718
26.05.2011
Blue Cries - Eduardo Villanueva
WWW
Blue cries Film scenario Study of the materie- antimaterie, by Eduardo Villanueva. The basic Idea here is to retake the vision of the Air Architecture project made by Yves Klein, who investigated the possibilities of immaterial architecture, makin ...
Blue cries Film scenario Study of the materie- antimaterie, by Eduardo Villanueva. The basic Idea here is to retake the vision of the Air Architecture project made by Yves Klein, who investigated the possibilities of immaterial architecture, makin ...
W4590
25.05.2011
Feniksi - Feniksi
WWW
From: Feniksi Re: The Artist’s Heart for Art-Historians, Curators and Art-Critics A Quitting Proposal This proposal has derived from a fond desire to quit being an artist. It has been for some time ...
From: Feniksi Re: The Artist’s Heart for Art-Historians, Curators and Art-Critics A Quitting Proposal This proposal has derived from a fond desire to quit being an artist. It has been for some time ...
W5380
19.10.2012
Caution! Work in Progress - Geraldo Zamproni
WWW
Caution! Work in Progress Rack or plastic folding board with vibrant yellow tone is a warning message that awakens the immediate interest of the observer in conferring closely with looking at what is happening. ...
Caution! Work in Progress Rack or plastic folding board with vibrant yellow tone is a warning message that awakens the immediate interest of the observer in conferring closely with looking at what is happening. ...
W4434
25.05.2011
Untitled - Paul-Armand Gette
WWW
Paul-Armand Gette Untitled Project for the wood of sculptures of Vassivière island, France July 1991 On the top of a forest area behind the Centre international d’art et du paysage A block of granite chosen in the wooden part of Vassivière is ...
Paul-Armand Gette Untitled Project for the wood of sculptures of Vassivière island, France July 1991 On the top of a forest area behind the Centre international d’art et du paysage A block of granite chosen in the wooden part of Vassivière is ...
W5075
05.09.2012
Nico Dockx
WWW
"Since I first met with Hans Ulrich Obrist on 15.03.2002 in his office at the Musée d'Art moderne de la ville de Paris -talking together about new kinds of slowness…- we tried for almost 10 years to go and visit the Greek filmmaker Theo Angelopoulos at ...
"Since I first met with Hans Ulrich Obrist on 15.03.2002 in his office at the Musée d'Art moderne de la ville de Paris -talking together about new kinds of slowness…- we tried for almost 10 years to go and visit the Greek filmmaker Theo Angelopoulos at ...
W3486
11.05.2011
There is a major problem in Australia
WWW
TWO IMAGES OF WHAT I CALL THE ENDLESS CHARACTER OF A NATURE FULL OF NATIVES. I DONT THINK THIS WILL OR COULD BE EVER FINISHED BECAUSE TO ME THEY WERE BORN BY THE TIME THEY DIED. SO THEY REMAIN A PHOTOGRAPH THAT NEED A STILL LIFE SHOT. ...
TWO IMAGES OF WHAT I CALL THE ENDLESS CHARACTER OF A NATURE FULL OF NATIVES. I DONT THINK THIS WILL OR COULD BE EVER FINISHED BECAUSE TO ME THEY WERE BORN BY THE TIME THEY DIED. SO THEY REMAIN A PHOTOGRAPH THAT NEED A STILL LIFE SHOT. ...
W4424
25.05.2011
Brianne Mackinnon
WWW
To extend the concepts of primary and secondary information associated to the distribution of conceptual art in the 1960's, an exhibition invitation will be distributed with the image of text through skywriting, "Opening Event, April 30, 6pm". When attend ...
To extend the concepts of primary and secondary information associated to the distribution of conceptual art in the 1960's, an exhibition invitation will be distributed with the image of text through skywriting, "Opening Event, April 30, 6pm". When attend ...
W3882
19.05.2011
Wheatfields - Carlo Marcucci
WWW
Large imaginary sculptures made of pasta strands. These non-existent structures are based on the "Wheatfields" body of work. "Wheatfields" are existent wall-mounted sculptures made of spaghetti and various kinds on noodles applied to wood. "The Gate" ...
Large imaginary sculptures made of pasta strands. These non-existent structures are based on the "Wheatfields" body of work. "Wheatfields" are existent wall-mounted sculptures made of spaghetti and various kinds on noodles applied to wood. "The Gate" ...
W5424
20.10.2012
THE DIFFICULT INTERPRETATION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC REALITY - Ulrich Bocker
WWW
THE DIFFICULT INTERPRETATION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC REALITY For the innocent photography is the most obvious form of visual communication in the world. The pictured situation seems clear at first sight until we read the title or the legend underneath. An opt ...
THE DIFFICULT INTERPRETATION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC REALITY For the innocent photography is the most obvious form of visual communication in the world. The pictured situation seems clear at first sight until we read the title or the legend underneath. An opt ...
W4727
26.05.2011
Household aluminium foil sculptures - Michel NORTH
WWW
Household aluminium foil sculptures – development of a “fa presto” technique in sculpture Those are two examples of statues (image 1: 1978; image 2: 1985), unrealised in that sense that the technique used and developed by me about 50 years ago ...
Household aluminium foil sculptures – development of a “fa presto” technique in sculpture Those are two examples of statues (image 1: 1978; image 2: 1985), unrealised in that sense that the technique used and developed by me about 50 years ago ...
W3731
18.05.2011
Tower - Felippe Moraes
WWW
The installation “Tower” is constituted by a 7m scaffold containing in its top a 3000w smoke machine from which, every five minutes, a large cloud is created and is naturally dispersed. ...
The installation “Tower” is constituted by a 7m scaffold containing in its top a 3000w smoke machine from which, every five minutes, a large cloud is created and is naturally dispersed. ...
W5303
17.10.2012
Be water my friend - Alexandros Pissourios
WWW
Project title : "Be water my friend" proposal by: Maria Anastassiou, Eleni Bagaki, Alexandros Pissourios "Be water my friend" is a response to an open call by p_public to utilise the deserted swimming pool of the "Xenia" hotel in Crete as a video i ...
Project title : "Be water my friend" proposal by: Maria Anastassiou, Eleni Bagaki, Alexandros Pissourios "Be water my friend" is a response to an open call by p_public to utilise the deserted swimming pool of the "Xenia" hotel in Crete as a video i ...
W4233
24.05.2011
Elise Lammer
WWW
This work is an homage to the lost artwork by John Baldessari "Untitled (after Palm Tree (for Charlemagne)" 1975. This unrealized project aims to collect similar postcards as the ones displayed in Peter Kirby's documentary and recreate Baldessari's lost ...
This work is an homage to the lost artwork by John Baldessari "Untitled (after Palm Tree (for Charlemagne)" 1975. This unrealized project aims to collect similar postcards as the ones displayed in Peter Kirby's documentary and recreate Baldessari's lost ...
W4936
19.08.2012
Niddah: 14 days - Gabriella Boros
WWW
As I turned 50, my self-image as a female began to change with the changes in my body. As I was approaching menopause, it interested me to understand why there was such a negative approach to female purity in my religion. I began to explore the Judaic pra ...
As I turned 50, my self-image as a female began to change with the changes in my body. As I was approaching menopause, it interested me to understand why there was such a negative approach to female purity in my religion. I began to explore the Judaic pra ...
W4781
03.06.2011
City of Today: Development for Feminine Urbanism  - Coralina Meyer
WWW
City of Today: Development for Feminine Urbanism A proposal for a fresh urban perspective, the City of Today is a product of the Old Girls Club. It is a series of presentations/drawings/performances/historic fictions where clients are asked to parti ...
City of Today: Development for Feminine Urbanism A proposal for a fresh urban perspective, the City of Today is a product of the Old Girls Club. It is a series of presentations/drawings/performances/historic fictions where clients are asked to parti ...
W4477
25.05.2011
"Qu et Ho pt l Zone" - Jim Ricks
WWW
"Qu et Ho pt l Zone" Proposed public piece by Jim Ricks To be located in the River Fergus, Ennis, Co. Clare. Supported by the Clare County Council. ...
"Qu et Ho pt l Zone" Proposed public piece by Jim Ricks To be located in the River Fergus, Ennis, Co. Clare. Supported by the Clare County Council. ...
W4162
23.05.2011
Claire Ferguson
WWW
a man catches a glimpse of a woman. he thinks of her for a few seconds and then doesn’t. she is just someone he has seen. some time later, he sees her again. this time for longer. only for a few seconds longer. he thinks about her for longer. at first, ...
a man catches a glimpse of a woman. he thinks of her for a few seconds and then doesn’t. she is just someone he has seen. some time later, he sees her again. this time for longer. only for a few seconds longer. he thinks about her for longer. at first, ...
U9807
01.01.1997
Cruzeiro Do Sul, (Southern Cross) (Crucero del Sur) 1969-70* - Cildo Meireles
Unbuilt Roads
A cube with a side measurement of 9 mm, consisting of two transverse sections: one of pine and the other of oak, trees that represented mythical beings in the cosmology of the Tupi Indians, beings whose correlation (mistakenly interpreted by the Jesuits a ...
A cube with a side measurement of 9 mm, consisting of two transverse sections: one of pine and the other of oak, trees that represented mythical beings in the cosmology of the Tupi Indians, beings whose correlation (mistakenly interpreted by the Jesuits a ...
W5341
18.10.2012
Peter Harris
WWW
2 A4 pencil drawings from the series 'Art Dads' for an unrealisable film. ART DADS My unrealisable idea would be to go back in time and be the son of different ‘art dads’. This would consist of me being filmed doing various father and son acti ...
2 A4 pencil drawings from the series 'Art Dads' for an unrealisable film. ART DADS My unrealisable idea would be to go back in time and be the son of different ‘art dads’. This would consist of me being filmed doing various father and son acti ...
W5208
04.10.2012
Lure - Noa Nahari
WWW
Noa Nahari Name: Lure Year: 2013/4 Neo Marxism claims the media are a tool to handle capitalistic power that wishes to exploit the working class to earn more money. For example, communication channels will produce programs that specifically attract a ...
Noa Nahari Name: Lure Year: 2013/4 Neo Marxism claims the media are a tool to handle capitalistic power that wishes to exploit the working class to earn more money. For example, communication channels will produce programs that specifically attract a ...
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 ...
W5170
26.09.2012
Jessica Li
WWW
An online database of all the words I know and all the words I think I know along with their respective pronunciations, definitions, and usages. This collection would house all words in all the languages I think I know and be organized by the chronologica ...
An online database of all the words I know and all the words I think I know along with their respective pronunciations, definitions, and usages. This collection would house all words in all the languages I think I know and be organized by the chronologica ...
W3537
11.05.2011
‘Against the fall’ - Sarah Luedemann
WWW
Project outline (Version Ia): ‘Against the fall’ consists of a fully functioning white parachute and about 300 (or more) A4 rejection letters from art students and artists worldwide, which are printed onto the parachute. The parachute as such is ...
Project outline (Version Ia): ‘Against the fall’ consists of a fully functioning white parachute and about 300 (or more) A4 rejection letters from art students and artists worldwide, which are printed onto the parachute. The parachute as such is ...
W3726
17.05.2011
Time Share - Elizabeth Rywelski
WWW
TIME SHARE is a performance and a play on a consumer model within a time share sales experience as seen through basic design principles of the Alternate Reality Game and the basic principles of Consumer Theory. In TIME SHARE we will look at how in an Alte ...
TIME SHARE is a performance and a play on a consumer model within a time share sales experience as seen through basic design principles of the Alternate Reality Game and the basic principles of Consumer Theory. In TIME SHARE we will look at how in an Alte ...
W5004
30.08.2012
Gerd/Gerda - Peter Friedl
WWW
Peter Friedl Gerd/Gerda, 2002 Proposal “Art Competition Federal Chancellery”, Berlin, 2002 The project proposal (working title) attempts to quite consciously grasp the announced requirements, expectations, limitations, and goals as the materia ...
Peter Friedl Gerd/Gerda, 2002 Proposal “Art Competition Federal Chancellery”, Berlin, 2002 The project proposal (working title) attempts to quite consciously grasp the announced requirements, expectations, limitations, and goals as the materia ...