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.

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

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

Notebook Page: Home in the Form of a Banana with Garage,  - Claes Oldenburg

PROJECT FOR A COMMUNITY CENTER, AVENUE DES NARCISSES, CHENOVE - Vito Acconci

Visual Poem: Cap I Cua - Joan Brossa

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

Temple of the western buddha (1971 Kathmedu) - Herman de Vries

Time Magazine Cover - Robert Rauschenberg

654 THINGS from The United States - Edward Ruscha

Financial Times Millennium Bridge Competition - Richard Serra and Frank Gehry

Agency of Unrealised Projects
Logo by Liam Gillick
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Date
Title
Source
Description
Tags
W4304
24.05.2011
Three Great Waves - Holger C. Lönze
WWW
Three Great Waves Context The notion of the ‘three great waves’ begin to appear in Irish texts as early as the 12th century. The 15th century Cath Finntrágha has its literary structure taken from the older Cath Trága Rudraigi which is set in t ...
Three Great Waves Context The notion of the ‘three great waves’ begin to appear in Irish texts as early as the 12th century. The 15th century Cath Finntrágha has its literary structure taken from the older Cath Trága Rudraigi which is set in t ...
W5067
05.09.2012
Color Pencil Tree - Dave Rittinger
WWW
Artist and designer Dave Rittinger has developed a proposal for a public art installation entitled 'Color Pencil Tree'. The arboreal sculpture morphs tree branches with the body of the colored drawing tools. The concept is dictated by the usage of exist ...
Artist and designer Dave Rittinger has developed a proposal for a public art installation entitled 'Color Pencil Tree'. The arboreal sculpture morphs tree branches with the body of the colored drawing tools. The concept is dictated by the usage of exist ...
W3606
13.05.2011
Recent Work Not Done - Buzz Spector
WWW
Date: 13 May 2011 To: The Agency of Unrealized Projects From: Buzz Spector RE: Recent Work Not Done My unrealized project is an artists’ book compilation of every artmaking idea or curatorial proposition I have had since 1972, but which ...
Date: 13 May 2011 To: The Agency of Unrealized Projects From: Buzz Spector RE: Recent Work Not Done My unrealized project is an artists’ book compilation of every artmaking idea or curatorial proposition I have had since 1972, but which ...
W4580
25.05.2011
Map of Incomplete Listing of Uninhabited Islands of the World - Katrina Moorhead
WWW
Map of Incomplete Listing of Uninhabited Islands of the World, April 2009, 2009 Archival digital print and watercolor on watercolor paper. 30 x 49-3/4 inches Individually researched, specifically uninhabited islands are charted on a map by coordina ...
Map of Incomplete Listing of Uninhabited Islands of the World, April 2009, 2009 Archival digital print and watercolor on watercolor paper. 30 x 49-3/4 inches Individually researched, specifically uninhabited islands are charted on a map by coordina ...
W5467
21.10.2012
L.R. Faigeles
WWW
For the previous eight months, I spent my time living, working and studying in Berlin. In addition, I traveled to London, Prague, Venice and Paris. Much of my time was spent studying the history of the various cities and how that history has in effect s ...
For the previous eight months, I spent my time living, working and studying in Berlin. In addition, I traveled to London, Prague, Venice and Paris. Much of my time was spent studying the history of the various cities and how that history has in effect s ...
W5379
19.10.2012
The naturalness of the artificial - Ana Pissarra
WWW
The naturalness of the artificial, Ana Pissarra This work explores associations between House and Domestic fantasy, always within a logic of ‘integration’. Thought games of association, the word House may bring about in us resonances that take the ...
The naturalness of the artificial, Ana Pissarra This work explores associations between House and Domestic fantasy, always within a logic of ‘integration’. Thought games of association, the word House may bring about in us resonances that take the ...
W11050
01.06.2016
B R E A T H E - Acrylicize
WWW
‘Breathe’ intrinsically tells the unique story about the new St Mary’s Square Development, reflecting its past and celebrating the character of the area. This forward thinking modern artistic sculpture is artistically progressive in nature. It creat ...
‘Breathe’ intrinsically tells the unique story about the new St Mary’s Square Development, reflecting its past and celebrating the character of the area. This forward thinking modern artistic sculpture is artistically progressive in nature. It creat ...
W10947
11.08.2015
Conduit - A.V. Ryan and Malin Abrahamsson
WWW
Conduit is many things: a recycling project, a purification ritual, a reclamation, a gift. One of the communities we aim to reach is the one that the gallery-going public habitually overlooks in Chelsea – the network of auto body shops and gas stati ...
Conduit is many things: a recycling project, a purification ritual, a reclamation, a gift. One of the communities we aim to reach is the one that the gallery-going public habitually overlooks in Chelsea – the network of auto body shops and gas stati ...
W4567
25.05.2011
Eduardo Villanueva & Jose Davila
WWW
A Remake of a film scenario interaction. ...
A Remake of a film scenario interaction. ...
W3624
14.05.2011
Steve Rosenthal
WWW
Unrealized project from March 2008. The proposal was made to Acantia Health and Beauty Ltd, seeking sponsorship in the form of 6000 bars of Coal Tar Soap to realize the construction of a 'Yellow Brick Road' for my final degree show. Please see text (i ...
Unrealized project from March 2008. The proposal was made to Acantia Health and Beauty Ltd, seeking sponsorship in the form of 6000 bars of Coal Tar Soap to realize the construction of a 'Yellow Brick Road' for my final degree show. Please see text (i ...
W3679
16.05.2011
William Livingstone house Detroit Project 2010 submitted to United States Artists Projects - Vincent Johnson
WWW
The project I am engaged in is the production of a three-foot tall sculpture on a table-top of the collapsed William Livingstone house in Detroit. This is important to me as it represents a metaphorical revisiting of my past, as this Detroit home represen ...
The project I am engaged in is the production of a three-foot tall sculpture on a table-top of the collapsed William Livingstone house in Detroit. This is important to me as it represents a metaphorical revisiting of my past, as this Detroit home represen ...
W5237
09.10.2012
Theater of the Heavy Clouds - Kim Miller
WWW
Theater of the Heavy Clouds ARISTOPHANES stands in makeshift toga next to table covered with multi-colored cubes. Off to side is a garment rack with glittering evening gown hanging. CHORUS' lines appear on projection screen at appropriate time behind ARIS ...
Theater of the Heavy Clouds ARISTOPHANES stands in makeshift toga next to table covered with multi-colored cubes. Off to side is a garment rack with glittering evening gown hanging. CHORUS' lines appear on projection screen at appropriate time behind ARIS ...
W4814
07.08.2012
Peace Team - Adam Uriel Ruff
WWW
W4520
25.05.2011
take charge of your life.  - Joan Vicent Marí Domenech
WWW
The unrealized project that I present is called: take charge of your life. These is what I was doing during my studies in fine arts Erasmus in Athens. Knowing myself. Began with a series of banners carried out haphazardly. The two images presen ...
The unrealized project that I present is called: take charge of your life. These is what I was doing during my studies in fine arts Erasmus in Athens. Knowing myself. Began with a series of banners carried out haphazardly. The two images presen ...
W4809
07.08.2012
Transitional Monument - David Mabb
WWW
Transitional Monument (2004). Digital montage. Dimensions variable. Transitional Monument was made as a proposal for a public artwork. The two images show photos of a now demolished sixties tower block, Linosa Close, Liverpool, with William Morris d ...
Transitional Monument (2004). Digital montage. Dimensions variable. Transitional Monument was made as a proposal for a public artwork. The two images show photos of a now demolished sixties tower block, Linosa Close, Liverpool, with William Morris d ...
W4273
24.05.2011
Hector Zamora
WWW
U9752
01.01.1997
The bridge according to Jeong-a's dream - Koo Jeong
Unbuilt Roads
round bridge in the middle of the sea to be approached by boat ...
round bridge in the middle of the sea to be approached by boat ...
W4700
26.05.2011
Counting Time - Catherine Cullen
WWW
Counting Time is a proposal for seven precious and semi-precious stones in colors that range from red to yellow, to be rough hewn into lumpy orbs. Counting stones hover in the mist of the pre-verbal yet bear an acute understanding of the imprecision inevi ...
Counting Time is a proposal for seven precious and semi-precious stones in colors that range from red to yellow, to be rough hewn into lumpy orbs. Counting stones hover in the mist of the pre-verbal yet bear an acute understanding of the imprecision inevi ...
W10588
21.06.2014
The Surrey Flame - Jonathan Parsons
WWW
Proposal to re-use the dismantled aluminium Olympic Rings that were sited on Box Hill during the cycling road race of London 2012 The forms that resulted from the way the original aluminium Olympic rings had been deconstructed inspired me to design a s ...
Proposal to re-use the dismantled aluminium Olympic Rings that were sited on Box Hill during the cycling road race of London 2012 The forms that resulted from the way the original aluminium Olympic rings had been deconstructed inspired me to design a s ...
W5006
30.08.2012
Das soziale NetzKunstwerk - Karen Eliot
WWW
An internet forum/ social network for Open Source Art projects: Artists always have unrealized ideas - things that just slumber in sketchbooks forever. We want to create a website, where users can propose such projects and leave it open for others to adop ...
An internet forum/ social network for Open Source Art projects: Artists always have unrealized ideas - things that just slumber in sketchbooks forever. We want to create a website, where users can propose such projects and leave it open for others to adop ...
W5355
19.10.2012
Lara Ogel
WWW
A book of mistranslations and poetry. Constructed, organized, cut and glued, fixated with images, texts and words. From English to Turkish to Turkish to English to Turkish once more. Arranged newspaper clippings to produce a new sound. Growing up bili ...
A book of mistranslations and poetry. Constructed, organized, cut and glued, fixated with images, texts and words. From English to Turkish to Turkish to English to Turkish once more. Arranged newspaper clippings to produce a new sound. Growing up bili ...
W4880
09.08.2012
Thistlegarden Project - Rob Voerman
WWW
Thistlegarden-project My plan is to create a garden consisting of only of wild thistles. Sown, but mainly re-planted from the wild in early spring, they will be placed in lines and patterns. The overall form will be a grafic representation of an explosi ...
Thistlegarden-project My plan is to create a garden consisting of only of wild thistles. Sown, but mainly re-planted from the wild in early spring, they will be placed in lines and patterns. The overall form will be a grafic representation of an explosi ...
W4934
18.08.2012
A Walk in Paradise - Andreas Gedin
WWW
Andreas Gedin: Plan for Berlin: ”A Walk in Paradise”, 1997 This project concerned the specific conditions for the fauna in the No mans land (or what is left of it) surrounding the former Berlin wall. It was neither a city park or a forest. What int ...
Andreas Gedin: Plan for Berlin: ”A Walk in Paradise”, 1997 This project concerned the specific conditions for the fauna in the No mans land (or what is left of it) surrounding the former Berlin wall. It was neither a city park or a forest. What int ...
W4800
20.01.2012
Turf - IDADA Art Pavilion - Jeremy Tubbs
WWW
Turf - IDADA Art Pavilion Super Bowl weekend will coincide with the IDADA First Friday Art Tour on Friday February 3rd. The Indianapolis Downtown Artists and Dealers Association (IDADA) are hosting a unique, visual arts event and pavilion in downtown Ind ...
Turf - IDADA Art Pavilion Super Bowl weekend will coincide with the IDADA First Friday Art Tour on Friday February 3rd. The Indianapolis Downtown Artists and Dealers Association (IDADA) are hosting a unique, visual arts event and pavilion in downtown Ind ...
W3772
18.05.2011
Mirek Lumens Proposal 2007, Mirek Chicago Proposal 2006 - Robert Mirek
WWW
Mirek Lumens Proposal 2007 Mirek Chicago Proposal 2006 ...
Mirek Lumens Proposal 2007 Mirek Chicago Proposal 2006 ...
W4686
26.05.2011
1. Corners from "The New York Times" front page. - Linda Stillman
WWW
Unrealized projects 1. Corners from "The New York Times" front page. I have been tearing and storing a piece of paper, the capsule weather report, from "The New York Times" for years. I once made a wall installation with a year of these corners (see ph ...
Unrealized projects 1. Corners from "The New York Times" front page. I have been tearing and storing a piece of paper, the capsule weather report, from "The New York Times" for years. I once made a wall installation with a year of these corners (see ph ...