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.

Unbetitelt, Gänse-Projekt + Noch unbetitelt , " Durch den Mund sehen " + Kartoffeln  - Carsten Holler

Chen H.V.O + G.T. - Bertrand Lavier

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

Making for Art - 100 Unsucceeded Presentation - 1995, 1996,  - Yutaka Sone

A House of Dust - Alison Knowles

La Guerra De Los Simbolos - Victor Grippo

Just Before Dawn - David Lamelas

Uncompleted 1966 - and on  - John Armleder

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

Right-of-Privacy Release - Tony Oursler

Agency of Unrealised Projects
Logo by Liam Gillick
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Date
Title
Source
Description
Tags
W3918
20.05.2011
The Second Man - Carolyn McKay
WWW
Original Proposal: At Darlinghurst courthouse in 2008, Gordon Wood was found guilty of murdering Caroline Byrne by throwing her from The Gap, a notorious suicide spot in Sydney, Australia. Witnesses claim to have seen a second man at the crime scene but ...
Original Proposal: At Darlinghurst courthouse in 2008, Gordon Wood was found guilty of murdering Caroline Byrne by throwing her from The Gap, a notorious suicide spot in Sydney, Australia. Witnesses claim to have seen a second man at the crime scene but ...
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... ...
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 ...
W5157
24.09.2012
Proposals - Robert Strati
WWW
Robert Strati http://www.stratilab.com "Proposals" In the process of putting together a series of video proposals for installation projects at various museums I began to question the process… "Isn't this the exhibition itself... does it need to a ...
Robert Strati http://www.stratilab.com "Proposals" In the process of putting together a series of video proposals for installation projects at various museums I began to question the process… "Isn't this the exhibition itself... does it need to a ...
W5446
20.10.2012
Tree Friendly Tree House - Kim Zalatan
WWW
Tree Friendly Tree House is a non-invasive series of steps meant to be attached to a tree to simulate the experience of a tree house. It is an interactive piece meant to allow the view to experience nature in a way they may not have before. ...
Tree Friendly Tree House is a non-invasive series of steps meant to be attached to a tree to simulate the experience of a tree house. It is an interactive piece meant to allow the view to experience nature in a way they may not have before. ...
W3751
18.05.2011
A FIRED FIELD - HECTOR MAVRIDIS
WWW
The action of breaking and turning over earth with a plow always fascinated me, the clods of earth being the result of this action, a simple 'gesture' from a machine which nevertheless brings about a dramatic change to the landscape, an awesome ephemeral ...
The action of breaking and turning over earth with a plow always fascinated me, the clods of earth being the result of this action, a simple 'gesture' from a machine which nevertheless brings about a dramatic change to the landscape, an awesome ephemeral ...
W5175
26.09.2012
Action Office III - Geissler Sann
WWW
Action Office III The first cubicles were designed in 1967 by Robert Propst. The purpose was to give the workers more privacy, to isolate them from sights and noises of an open workspace. Probst consulted for his research mathematicians, behavioral psych ...
Action Office III The first cubicles were designed in 1967 by Robert Propst. The purpose was to give the workers more privacy, to isolate them from sights and noises of an open workspace. Probst consulted for his research mathematicians, behavioral psych ...
W10876
12.02.2015
Walking (Autonomous) Sculpture - Genco Gulan
WWW
I am interested in making moving (autonomous) sculptures with real robots. I did worked with some other different kinds of robots and got a prize with them at EMAF in 2005 as part of a larger project . But they were smaller, and theri walking, moving capa ...
I am interested in making moving (autonomous) sculptures with real robots. I did worked with some other different kinds of robots and got a prize with them at EMAF in 2005 as part of a larger project . But they were smaller, and theri walking, moving capa ...
W5008
30.08.2012
And the Girls with their Roller Skates - Julia Brodauf
WWW
"And the Girls with their Roller Skates" was a proposal to do an installation in combination with an edition at the Heizkraftwerk Moabit in Berlin where Vatenfall sometimes shows art exhibitions. While the edition was accepted an will be realised in octob ...
"And the Girls with their Roller Skates" was a proposal to do an installation in combination with an edition at the Heizkraftwerk Moabit in Berlin where Vatenfall sometimes shows art exhibitions. While the edition was accepted an will be realised in octob ...
W3519
11.05.2011
Spartak Dulic
WWW
Cocaine sculpture text- on the back of the card ...
Cocaine sculpture text- on the back of the card ...
W5216
06.10.2012
Zeitseeing - Gisela Weimann
WWW
I am interested in the interplay between objects and sounds and movement in time and space. Word games and the change of classical musical formats with an ironic undertone are often part of my projects. ...
I am interested in the interplay between objects and sounds and movement in time and space. Word games and the change of classical musical formats with an ironic undertone are often part of my projects. ...
W4144
23.05.2011
Winifred Bendiner-Viani
WWW
The two images attached are part of an ongoing series of 8"X 8" mixed media collages. ...
The two images attached are part of an ongoing series of 8"X 8" mixed media collages. ...
W4202
24.05.2011
The Eisenstein Project - janet hodgson
WWW
BATH SPA STATION - DAY A trolley with high wire-mesh sides stands on the platform, and propped inside is a crate - it’s big enough to contain an adult but doesn’t look like a coffin. A large consignment note is pasted on to it. It’s in Russian: an ...
BATH SPA STATION - DAY A trolley with high wire-mesh sides stands on the platform, and propped inside is a crate - it’s big enough to contain an adult but doesn’t look like a coffin. A large consignment note is pasted on to it. It’s in Russian: an ...
W3816
19.05.2011
Pittsburgh Passion Project, (Mistaken ID) - Ayanah Moor
WWW
The Pittsburgh Passion Project (2008-2009) probed the relationship between gender identity and sports practices through contemporary performance. In the American imagination, the contours of helmet, football pads, and protective gear have historically ...
The Pittsburgh Passion Project (2008-2009) probed the relationship between gender identity and sports practices through contemporary performance. In the American imagination, the contours of helmet, football pads, and protective gear have historically ...
W4840
08.08.2012
Tableau Vivant and the subversive Feminine - andreas guibert
WWW
Academy of Fine Arts Vienna PhD in Practice (Doctor of Philosophy in Practice) Personal number: 0003 Andres Guibert Abstract The proposed project analyses how individual gay identities contest cultural policies in repressive regimes reformulating ...
Academy of Fine Arts Vienna PhD in Practice (Doctor of Philosophy in Practice) Personal number: 0003 Andres Guibert Abstract The proposed project analyses how individual gay identities contest cultural policies in repressive regimes reformulating ...
W3752
18.05.2011
Proposal for an Art-Science cooperation for solar lighting a Lebanese village - roula sorour
WWW
My project was a proposal to light up a village in Lebanon using solar power in cooperation with a local University. My proposal was hurried and could have been written better. I never did receive a reply to my proposal. From: Roula Sorour <r@roula ...
My project was a proposal to light up a village in Lebanon using solar power in cooperation with a local University. My proposal was hurried and could have been written better. I never did receive a reply to my proposal. From: Roula Sorour <r@roula ...
W3678
15.05.2011
The Bardo Board Game Project - barbara russell
WWW
I have revisited “The Bardo Board Game Project” with great excitement and joy thanks to you! I share an exciting temporary art installation that can benefit families whose children face day-to-day life decision challenges that take them away from a c ...
I have revisited “The Bardo Board Game Project” with great excitement and joy thanks to you! I share an exciting temporary art installation that can benefit families whose children face day-to-day life decision challenges that take them away from a c ...
W4319
24.05.2011
(Twitter Carrier Pigeon) - seth marshall weiner
WWW
(Social Networking Utilities and the Argument for Physical Space (Twitter Carrier Pigeon) As social networking utilities continue to provide open forums for users to communicate, protest and organize, they lack the necessity for a physical space. T ...
(Social Networking Utilities and the Argument for Physical Space (Twitter Carrier Pigeon) As social networking utilities continue to provide open forums for users to communicate, protest and organize, they lack the necessity for a physical space. T ...
W4401
25.05.2011
Proposal for Museo de Arte, Sacramento, Mexico. - Ursula Nistrup
WWW
Proposal for Museo de Arte, Sacramento, Mexico. The project I would like to propose is informed by the unique conditions you have created for the Museum as an abstract entity. It is inspired by ’The Idea of the North’ by the pianist and composer Gl ...
Proposal for Museo de Arte, Sacramento, Mexico. The project I would like to propose is informed by the unique conditions you have created for the Museum as an abstract entity. It is inspired by ’The Idea of the North’ by the pianist and composer Gl ...
W5031
31.08.2012
If Wishes Were... - Ian Amell
WWW
"If Wishes Were..." was my proposal for a Public Realm sculpture based on the readily understood (in North America) practice at Christmas and Easter of wishing on the neck bone of the turkey eaten at these family feasts. Venice has its “Bridge of Si ...
"If Wishes Were..." was my proposal for a Public Realm sculpture based on the readily understood (in North America) practice at Christmas and Easter of wishing on the neck bone of the turkey eaten at these family feasts. Venice has its “Bridge of Si ...
W4500
25.05.2011
'SYNCYTIUM / COSMOPOLIS' - Baiju Parthan
WWW
'SYNCYTIUM / COSMOPOLIS' An unrealized project from 2008 Conceived in March 2008, this is a partly realized project, which I was not able to realize in its full potential due to various practical constraints. From lack of funding, to not having t ...
'SYNCYTIUM / COSMOPOLIS' An unrealized project from 2008 Conceived in March 2008, this is a partly realized project, which I was not able to realize in its full potential due to various practical constraints. From lack of funding, to not having t ...
W3488
11.05.2011
5/10/20/50/100/200/500 Euro - Karakaya Hüseyin
WWW
5/10/20/50/100/200/500 Euro Material: Geld Schein, jeder Währung, Schwarze Tusche jeder Hersteller: Geld Schein in Schwarzer Tusche tränken, und trocknen. Herstellung: Den Geschwärzten Geld schein gegen den gleichen geld Wert und die gleichen ...
5/10/20/50/100/200/500 Euro Material: Geld Schein, jeder Währung, Schwarze Tusche jeder Hersteller: Geld Schein in Schwarzer Tusche tränken, und trocknen. Herstellung: Den Geschwärzten Geld schein gegen den gleichen geld Wert und die gleichen ...
W4596
25.05.2011
Tulipa Feteo - Derek Curry
WWW
Tulipa Feteo is a work that I hope will eventually result in a new breed of tulip. I have been searching for genetic biologists to collaborate with to cross the genetics of a carrion flower with those of a tulip to create a tulip that will smell like rot ...
Tulipa Feteo is a work that I hope will eventually result in a new breed of tulip. I have been searching for genetic biologists to collaborate with to cross the genetics of a carrion flower with those of a tulip to create a tulip that will smell like rot ...
W5342
18.10.2012
JEANNE TRIPIER JEANNE D'ARC - Paul Amlehn
WWW
Hi. My name is Paul Amlehn. My previous work has been exhibited at Art Basel and the Venice Biennale, and is held in the collections of MoMA, ZKM, and documenta archives. The work I am submitting is an outline for a performance work that was never realize ...
Hi. My name is Paul Amlehn. My previous work has been exhibited at Art Basel and the Venice Biennale, and is held in the collections of MoMA, ZKM, and documenta archives. The work I am submitting is an outline for a performance work that was never realize ...
W4592
25.05.2011
Gap Ecology - David Brooks
WWW
Gap Ecology (5 Still Lives with Cherry Pickers and Palms) Conceptual Context: The current recession has halted dozens of construction projects around New York City at an alarming rate. The Building Trades Employersʼ Association is reporting nearly $5 b ...
Gap Ecology (5 Still Lives with Cherry Pickers and Palms) Conceptual Context: The current recession has halted dozens of construction projects around New York City at an alarming rate. The Building Trades Employersʼ Association is reporting nearly $5 b ...
W4356
25.05.2011
Sutton Scarsdale Hall, The pavilion of post-contemporary curating - Ben Allen
WWW
Sutton Scarsdale Hall, The pavilion of post-contemporary curating If the Sun and Moon Should Doubt/They’d immediately go out William Blake This proposal will be based around three successive phases of projects: infrastructural / experimental / in ...
Sutton Scarsdale Hall, The pavilion of post-contemporary curating If the Sun and Moon Should Doubt/They’d immediately go out William Blake This proposal will be based around three successive phases of projects: infrastructural / experimental / in ...