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.

Der New-Babyloner - Constant

d'un projet dédié aux victimes de la Shoah. - Christian Boltanski

Theater der Leere - Werner Ruhnau and Yves Klein

<A Public Misery Message> - Critical Art Ensemble

Arrangement Stroom HCBK Den Haag - Ange Leccia

Project for the Initiative Mahnmal Homosexuellenverfolgung, Frankfurt  - Jeff Wall

Ruderaltisch, 1994/95 Kunst am Bau - Projekt - Lois Weinberger

Time Magazine Cover - Robert Rauschenberg

The pyramids...to be seen to be believed - Jonathan Monk

Unrealized project for Tate Gallery + ICA, 1969 - Gilbert and George

Agency of Unrealised Projects
Logo by Liam Gillick
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Date
Title
Source
Description
Tags
W11006
26.03.2016
Monetarium - Amitesh Grover
WWW
What happens when we stop believing in money altogether? Monetarium is an urgent situation - An auction situation for the money. Let us think of this proposal as an invitation for an assembly - a curated, carefully selected group of people who are invited ...
What happens when we stop believing in money altogether? Monetarium is an urgent situation - An auction situation for the money. Let us think of this proposal as an invitation for an assembly - a curated, carefully selected group of people who are invited ...
W5307
17.10.2012
Karla Sachse
WWW
Dear organizers of the Agency of Unrealized Projects, although near your deadline for contributions I would like to send you the draft for a shining column which could have marked the new big library temple called Wilhelm-and-Jakob-Grimm-Center in B ...
Dear organizers of the Agency of Unrealized Projects, although near your deadline for contributions I would like to send you the draft for a shining column which could have marked the new big library temple called Wilhelm-and-Jakob-Grimm-Center in B ...
W3682
16.05.2011
Nick Crowe and Ian Rawlinson
WWW
Two Barges is a proposal for a pair of illuminated signs to be ferried around the island of Manhattan using the Hudson, Harlem and East Rivers.   The signs will be made from panels of tungsten lightbulbs fixed to a supporting metal rig.   The letters wi ...
Two Barges is a proposal for a pair of illuminated signs to be ferried around the island of Manhattan using the Hudson, Harlem and East Rivers.   The signs will be made from panels of tungsten lightbulbs fixed to a supporting metal rig.   The letters wi ...
W4521
25.05.2011
The 5-Minute Fellowship  - Gabriela Vainsencher
WWW
The 5-Minute Fellowship The 5-Minute Fellowship is a project in which artists will each receive $20 in exchange for a small work made in 5 minutes. I will arrive at the 5-Minute fellows’ studios with materials, a camera and $20, and leave with a small ...
The 5-Minute Fellowship The 5-Minute Fellowship is a project in which artists will each receive $20 in exchange for a small work made in 5 minutes. I will arrive at the 5-Minute fellows’ studios with materials, a camera and $20, and leave with a small ...
W4814
07.08.2012
Peace Team - Adam Uriel Ruff
WWW
W5312
17.10.2012
Empire - Elena Dubrova
WWW
We would like to introduce to Your attention our short non embodied project. The project itself can be incarnate but his idea is reverse. We named it ‘Empire’. Project consist series of photo ( 5 pieces) and 1 gif. image. It consists awareness, ...
We would like to introduce to Your attention our short non embodied project. The project itself can be incarnate but his idea is reverse. We named it ‘Empire’. Project consist series of photo ( 5 pieces) and 1 gif. image. It consists awareness, ...
W11076
07.04.2016
Temple of Modern Virtue - Vilja Achté
WWW
My work revolves around the relevance of the intentionally incomplete state as a method of production in art and design practice. The term itself is an adaptation of the Renaissance term ‘non-finito’, which quite literally means ‘not finished’, an ...
My work revolves around the relevance of the intentionally incomplete state as a method of production in art and design practice. The term itself is an adaptation of the Renaissance term ‘non-finito’, which quite literally means ‘not finished’, an ...
W4255
24.05.2011
BLOCHER SYLVIE
WWW
Project prizewinner of the competition of the RATP (PARIS PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM / Metro) in bets for the year 2000. (The competition was in 1998) The project consisted of an installation in the station « Concorde » Line1 in Paris. Conditions of ...
Project prizewinner of the competition of the RATP (PARIS PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM / Metro) in bets for the year 2000. (The competition was in 1998) The project consisted of an installation in the station « Concorde » Line1 in Paris. Conditions of ...
W4457
25.05.2011
Bamboo Treehouse Project summary  - Suwan Laimanee
WWW
Bamboo Treehouse Project summary Bamboo Treehouse is a site-specific performance intended to provide an inspirational example of sustainable living to both the local and global population alike. The project is an ongoing interactive experiment, explorin ...
Bamboo Treehouse Project summary Bamboo Treehouse is a site-specific performance intended to provide an inspirational example of sustainable living to both the local and global population alike. The project is an ongoing interactive experiment, explorin ...
W4823
07.08.2012
Outstretched Arms - Todd Williamson
WWW
"Outstretched Arms" is a project that was originally conceived in 2009 for a university show. It features a 4ft diameter hanging painting that slowly rotates with the air currents. It also features a 10 minute commissioned work of music that supports ...
"Outstretched Arms" is a project that was originally conceived in 2009 for a university show. It features a 4ft diameter hanging painting that slowly rotates with the air currents. It also features a 10 minute commissioned work of music that supports ...
W3915
20.05.2011
Gorica Orsholits
WWW
This is one of my first projects where I tried to reflect on my personal emotional state towards the war in Bosnia (1992-1995), and the notion of constantly “living between two wars" experiences by many generations born in the turmoil Balkan region. ...
This is one of my first projects where I tried to reflect on my personal emotional state towards the war in Bosnia (1992-1995), and the notion of constantly “living between two wars" experiences by many generations born in the turmoil Balkan region. ...
W5317
18.10.2012
Apostol Kardamov
WWW
To starting form early 19th century, industrial revolution had spread all around the world with enormous impact. Individual countries got infected differently by this magnificent influence. This difference ( in my view point) comes from culture. ...
To starting form early 19th century, industrial revolution had spread all around the world with enormous impact. Individual countries got infected differently by this magnificent influence. This difference ( in my view point) comes from culture. ...
W5121
18.09.2012
Mo White
WWW
In 2009 I made a film whose completion has been continually postponed. I made the film quickly with materials to hand, in Super 8 format. The making of the work was an immediate reaction and response to a small event. ‘In March 2009 I bought a lime ...
In 2009 I made a film whose completion has been continually postponed. I made the film quickly with materials to hand, in Super 8 format. The making of the work was an immediate reaction and response to a small event. ‘In March 2009 I bought a lime ...
W5226
08.10.2012
ANF (Absolutely No Fucking) - ANF - Stephen Spurrier and Alexandra Lawson
WWW
ANF (Absolutely No Fucking) is an evolving story written collaboratively by Alexandra Lawson and Stephen Spurrier, describing a year in the life of Spurrier (in the 60's) which explores the concept of intimacy as a phenomenon. ANF (Absolutely No Fuckin ...
ANF (Absolutely No Fucking) is an evolving story written collaboratively by Alexandra Lawson and Stephen Spurrier, describing a year in the life of Spurrier (in the 60's) which explores the concept of intimacy as a phenomenon. ANF (Absolutely No Fuckin ...
W3686
16.05.2011
Residue - christopher whittey
WWW
5/16/2011 Having gone through more than sufficient amounts of red tape, I procured permission to acquire shredded U.S. currency from a Federal Reserve Bank located in downtown Baltimore. Over the course of a few months, I picked up an estimated 40-50 m ...
5/16/2011 Having gone through more than sufficient amounts of red tape, I procured permission to acquire shredded U.S. currency from a Federal Reserve Bank located in downtown Baltimore. Over the course of a few months, I picked up an estimated 40-50 m ...
W7067
24.11.2013
Ardfert “Miracle Hill”  - Julie Forrester
WWW
THEMES The theme will be Ardfert “Miracle Hill”. Ideas about miracles will be explored playfully by posing questions: What exactly is a miracle? Do you know any miracles? Are miracles real? Do we need them? Who are the people who inhabit miracles? ...
THEMES The theme will be Ardfert “Miracle Hill”. Ideas about miracles will be explored playfully by posing questions: What exactly is a miracle? Do you know any miracles? Are miracles real? Do we need them? Who are the people who inhabit miracles? ...
W5899
18.10.2013
Bagatelle - Matthijs Muller
WWW
A competition to design a landmark at the motorway exit nearby a nature reserve made me design Bagatelle. The park nearby has a strange history. First, in the early 1960's the polder was used to dump polluted mud from the port of Rotterdam. Then for over ...
A competition to design a landmark at the motorway exit nearby a nature reserve made me design Bagatelle. The park nearby has a strange history. First, in the early 1960's the polder was used to dump polluted mud from the port of Rotterdam. Then for over ...
W3602
13.05.2011
Dreamland: A great Freudian Theme Park - Zoe Beloff
WWW
This as yet unrealized project aims rebuild Coney Island’s famous Dreamland amusement park that burned down in 1911, as a true Freudian theme park. ...
This as yet unrealized project aims rebuild Coney Island’s famous Dreamland amusement park that burned down in 1911, as a true Freudian theme park. ...
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 ...
W3803
18.05.2011
An experience being an experience like an experience you just had - Joanne Tatham & Tom O'Sullivan
WWW
"An experience being an experience like an experience you just had" was an unsuccessful proposal for the 2012 Cultural Olympiad. ...
"An experience being an experience like an experience you just had" was an unsuccessful proposal for the 2012 Cultural Olympiad. ...
W4761
27.05.2011
24-Hour Kaprow - Richard Smolinski
WWW
"24-Hour Kaprow" was envisioned as a performance video where Kaprow’s collected works would be re-presented through a 24 hour long video. RICHard SMOLinski’s unrealized project, 24-Hour Kaprow 24-Hour Kaprow was envisioned as a performance vide ...
"24-Hour Kaprow" was envisioned as a performance video where Kaprow’s collected works would be re-presented through a 24 hour long video. RICHard SMOLinski’s unrealized project, 24-Hour Kaprow 24-Hour Kaprow was envisioned as a performance vide ...
W4102
23.05.2011
IMNOW (I-aM-NOW) - Shlomit Lehavi
WWW
IMNOW is an emergent identity composed of digital footprints across major social media platforms that challenges and explores current definitions of space (public vs. private, physical vs. virtual,) and time, with regard to contemporary notions of friends ...
IMNOW is an emergent identity composed of digital footprints across major social media platforms that challenges and explores current definitions of space (public vs. private, physical vs. virtual,) and time, with regard to contemporary notions of friends ...
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 ...
W10362
18.04.2014
Building Of a Heterogeneous Space of the Disappearance - Daniel Castellanos Reyes
WWW
Building Of An Heterogeneous Space Of The Disappearance will be an ephemeral construction shaped as one of the present balconies in what it used to be the Gebäude Des Reichsstatthalters Und Der Gauleitung. This proposal pretends to make an historical ...
Building Of An Heterogeneous Space Of The Disappearance will be an ephemeral construction shaped as one of the present balconies in what it used to be the Gebäude Des Reichsstatthalters Und Der Gauleitung. This proposal pretends to make an historical ...
W5463
21.10.2012
The House I Grew Up In - Zena Zakanycz
WWW
Artist Statement: It is interesting to see what one value or thinks should be contained, stored and kept. This idea of something being secure and safely tucked away or collected is fundamental in my work. I think it is an essential quality of humans to ...
Artist Statement: It is interesting to see what one value or thinks should be contained, stored and kept. This idea of something being secure and safely tucked away or collected is fundamental in my work. I think it is an essential quality of humans to ...
W4093
23.05.2011
UNREALIZEABLE PROJECT A000005 - Stefano W. Pasquini
WWW
UNREALIZEABLE PROJECT A000005: dealing with the memory of the Desaparecidos of Argentina. ...
UNREALIZEABLE PROJECT A000005: dealing with the memory of the Desaparecidos of Argentina. ...