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.

Merci, Thank you, Danke: Les 2 sujets  - Thomas Hirschorn

City Hall Tower Night Ilumination - Krysztof Wodiczko

Entwurf für einen erneuerten Malkasten 1992 - 1994 - Ulrike Holthöfer

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

"Free Space" - Michelangelo Pistoletto

Social Resource Project For the Munich Olympics - Stephen Willats

Post Photographic apparatus - Steven Pippin

Attitudine Diplomatica - Hermann Pitz

Memorial - Ilya Kabakov

Billboard - Jimmie Durham

Agency of Unrealised Projects
Logo by Liam Gillick
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Date
Title
Source
Description
Tags
W4480
25.05.2011
Laura Stein
WWW
I was working with a pyrotechnics specialist to develop shaped fire sculptures. We were working on building gas flame fueled armatures to define the form. AS the costs grew the project was put on the back burner after 6+ months of work and research! ...
I was working with a pyrotechnics specialist to develop shaped fire sculptures. We were working on building gas flame fueled armatures to define the form. AS the costs grew the project was put on the back burner after 6+ months of work and research! ...
W3744
18.05.2011
IP Address-Visa Line - Alejandro Ramirez
WWW
http://rw045.wordpress.com/     Abstract. 
I remember several science fiction movies in which planes and ships mysteriously disappeared while reaching specific coordinates; their physical presence was gone. Some times radio signals where able to ...
http://rw045.wordpress.com/     Abstract. 
I remember several science fiction movies in which planes and ships mysteriously disappeared while reaching specific coordinates; their physical presence was gone. Some times radio signals where able to ...
W5069
05.09.2012
National Bank - Assaf Gruber
WWW
National Bank: In April 2009, I contacted the Sport Center of the National Bank of Belgium to submit to them a proposition for an exhibition: We planned to exhibit Getting Even, a piece made with slices of bowling balls that are scattered around and be ...
National Bank: In April 2009, I contacted the Sport Center of the National Bank of Belgium to submit to them a proposition for an exhibition: We planned to exhibit Getting Even, a piece made with slices of bowling balls that are scattered around and be ...
W4369
25.05.2011
Importance of some Note - Qi.ng
WWW
Importance of some Note 12x8" Digital capture of graphite on 3x3" scrap paper I once had a mentor who would grouse on about the term 'art projects', as though these were something that had a distinct end and finish. The debate would always return to ...
Importance of some Note 12x8" Digital capture of graphite on 3x3" scrap paper I once had a mentor who would grouse on about the term 'art projects', as though these were something that had a distinct end and finish. The debate would always return to ...
W3981
21.05.2011
Stuart Keeler
WWW
Aurora is a sculptural work that connects the citizen to the street with seating, lighting and sculptural forms. The work offers daytime and nighttime animation with a sculptural gesture of the familiar forms. Powered by a series of low wattage LED light ...
Aurora is a sculptural work that connects the citizen to the street with seating, lighting and sculptural forms. The work offers daytime and nighttime animation with a sculptural gesture of the familiar forms. Powered by a series of low wattage LED light ...
W4633
25.05.2011
ELENA BAJO
WWW
WHEN YOU CUT INTO THE PRESENT THE FUTURE LEAKS OUT (PRODUCTION OF SPACE) “The form of social space is encounter, assembly, simultaneity; social space implies actual or potential assembly at a single point or around that point.” - Henri Lefebvre, from ...
WHEN YOU CUT INTO THE PRESENT THE FUTURE LEAKS OUT (PRODUCTION OF SPACE) “The form of social space is encounter, assembly, simultaneity; social space implies actual or potential assembly at a single point or around that point.” - Henri Lefebvre, from ...
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 ...
W3712
17.05.2011
A higher place, London 1998 (project) - Mark Pimlott
WWW
At Royal Docks, a series of parallel bands of different kinds of space and different kinds of use run alongside the existing dock. The dock was designed as a piece of infrastructure, orchestrating and rationalising the activities that took place anlongsid ...
At Royal Docks, a series of parallel bands of different kinds of space and different kinds of use run alongside the existing dock. The dock was designed as a piece of infrastructure, orchestrating and rationalising the activities that took place anlongsid ...
W3528
11.05.2011
MARS / SPIRIT 2009/12 - KLAUS HU
WWW
KLAUS HU Studio Wildenbruch 77 12045 Berlin / Germany tel (49).30.68081524 em: klaushu[at]yahoo.de KLAUS HU IS REPRESENTED BY VG BILD-KUNST. TRILOGY MARS DESERT BEACH 2006/12 MARS DESERT BEACH 2006/10 http://klaushu.blogspot.com/ MAR ...
KLAUS HU Studio Wildenbruch 77 12045 Berlin / Germany tel (49).30.68081524 em: klaushu[at]yahoo.de KLAUS HU IS REPRESENTED BY VG BILD-KUNST. TRILOGY MARS DESERT BEACH 2006/12 MARS DESERT BEACH 2006/10 http://klaushu.blogspot.com/ MAR ...
W4487
25.05.2011
lori brown
WWW
The wificommune is a retro-fitted environmentally sustainable bus providing social services for the Seneca Nation communities in Upstate New York. Using solar power as a source of energy, this bus is designed to provide internet connections, a classroom ...
The wificommune is a retro-fitted environmentally sustainable bus providing social services for the Seneca Nation communities in Upstate New York. Using solar power as a source of energy, this bus is designed to provide internet connections, a classroom ...
W5337
18.10.2012
how to recall what never happened
WWW
The idea stem from Lis’81 – The International Drawing Biennale of Lisbon, which was expected to take place at the National Gallery of Modern Art of Belém, but ended up consumed in a fire, during its installation, the only thing left is the catalogue. ...
The idea stem from Lis’81 – The International Drawing Biennale of Lisbon, which was expected to take place at the National Gallery of Modern Art of Belém, but ended up consumed in a fire, during its installation, the only thing left is the catalogue. ...
W4995
30.08.2012
Black Fountain - Maarten Daudeij
WWW
Title: Black Fountain Artist: Maarten Daudeij (The Netherlands, Australia) Year of origination of the idea: 2010 Concept: To colour the water in the Three Rivers Fountain on Victoria Square in the middle of Adelaide, South Australia black. Theme: The ...
Title: Black Fountain Artist: Maarten Daudeij (The Netherlands, Australia) Year of origination of the idea: 2010 Concept: To colour the water in the Three Rivers Fountain on Victoria Square in the middle of Adelaide, South Australia black. Theme: The ...
W4643
25.05.2011
“Orgone Tanks” - Urssa Severa
WWW
“Orgone Tanks” Artistic action by Urssa Severa As an artistic action, a legion of tanks (about 50 tanks) loaded with “orgone” cannons instead of war cannons, makes a journey around the world all in a row at 40 km per hour. They are on a mission ...
“Orgone Tanks” Artistic action by Urssa Severa As an artistic action, a legion of tanks (about 50 tanks) loaded with “orgone” cannons instead of war cannons, makes a journey around the world all in a row at 40 km per hour. They are on a mission ...
W4228
24.05.2011
Sacred Sister - Bettina WitteVeen
WWW
Sacred Sister by Bettina WitteVeen GLOSSARY AMAZONS: Society of women warriors whose kingdom was believed to be to the north of the civilized world and who tolerated men only as servants or as father of female children. They cut off one breast i ...
Sacred Sister by Bettina WitteVeen GLOSSARY AMAZONS: Society of women warriors whose kingdom was believed to be to the north of the civilized world and who tolerated men only as servants or as father of female children. They cut off one breast i ...
W4804
07.08.2012
1st Draft - Yoshiko Shimada
WWW
"1st Draft", 3"59, Video. Perceptions of thought prompted through language may also be translated to language molding our perceptions of time. The concept of time through language interested me because people always speak of “living in the present” ...
"1st Draft", 3"59, Video. Perceptions of thought prompted through language may also be translated to language molding our perceptions of time. The concept of time through language interested me because people always speak of “living in the present” ...
W4439
25.05.2011
Maria Over Mount Athos - Maria Papadimitriou
WWW
By Jennifer Allen Maria Over Mount Athos A hot air balloon floats silently over Mount Athos... Not just any balloon but one carrying an image of Maria's face. Much to the surprise of the monks living on the peninsula, the face does not belong to th ...
By Jennifer Allen Maria Over Mount Athos A hot air balloon floats silently over Mount Athos... Not just any balloon but one carrying an image of Maria's face. Much to the surprise of the monks living on the peninsula, the face does not belong to th ...
W3835
19.05.2011
‘Jsut Code - Winnie Soon
WWW
‘Jsut Code’ is a collaborative installation in which participants are invited to decode electronic texts written by a collective of distributed writers. ...
‘Jsut Code’ is a collaborative installation in which participants are invited to decode electronic texts written by a collective of distributed writers. ...
W3954
20.05.2011
Doug Fogelson
WWW
This is a project to make a house shape out of chain link fence material, razor wire, fluorescent lights and plants. It was intended as a comment on Guantanamo Prison and the promise of American society. 10.4.06 Dear Mr. Littman, We would l ...
This is a project to make a house shape out of chain link fence material, razor wire, fluorescent lights and plants. It was intended as a comment on Guantanamo Prison and the promise of American society. 10.4.06 Dear Mr. Littman, We would l ...
W5298
17.10.2012
EFI SAVVIDES
WWW
Nature is always quick to assume the position of history when history, like an impotent and weary creature, gradually loosens its hold on things, receding deeper and deeper into the negative space of oblivion, during its irreversible descent coming apart ...
Nature is always quick to assume the position of history when history, like an impotent and weary creature, gradually loosens its hold on things, receding deeper and deeper into the negative space of oblivion, during its irreversible descent coming apart ...
W3976
21.05.2011
Batya cavens
WWW
My body of work investigates, probes and puts to the test the boundaries of fine art. The concept is: traversing those formal academic and established definitions, and reaching into the academy of the street . ...
My body of work investigates, probes and puts to the test the boundaries of fine art. The concept is: traversing those formal academic and established definitions, and reaching into the academy of the street . ...
W5200
03.10.2012
The plan of scientific work « Russian branch Mecklenburg - Strelitz family. Russia - Germany. Sight of the artist of XXI century. » - Yuri Wassiliew
WWW
Wassiliew J.A., dozent of drawing department in A.I.Gertzen Russian State Pedagogical University, Sankt Petersburg, Russia. The plan of scientific work « Russian branch Mecklenburg - Strelitz family. Russia - Germany. Sight of the art ...
Wassiliew J.A., dozent of drawing department in A.I.Gertzen Russian State Pedagogical University, Sankt Petersburg, Russia. The plan of scientific work « Russian branch Mecklenburg - Strelitz family. Russia - Germany. Sight of the art ...
U9572
01.01.1992
Engel-Detektor - Jakob Gautel & Jason Karaïndros
Unbuilt Roads
"Looking into the heart of light, the silence . . . " - T. S. Eliot «Un agne passe» - „Ein Engel schwebt durch den Raum" - ein Moment due Ruhe, der selten geworden ist in unserer Gesellschaft, die vom visuellen und sonoren horror vacui verflogt wir ...
"Looking into the heart of light, the silence . . . " - T. S. Eliot «Un agne passe» - „Ein Engel schwebt durch den Raum" - ein Moment due Ruhe, der selten geworden ist in unserer Gesellschaft, die vom visuellen und sonoren horror vacui verflogt wir ...
W5393
20.10.2012
Nursery - Ismini Chacholiadou
WWW
photographic series “Nursery” This series of photographs began as a project where Ismini Haholiadou was exploring different trajectories in her practice. Where she previously set up spaces and scenes to photograph, in this project she scouted for ...
photographic series “Nursery” This series of photographs began as a project where Ismini Haholiadou was exploring different trajectories in her practice. Where she previously set up spaces and scenes to photograph, in this project she scouted for ...
U9510
01.01.1997
Der New-Babyloner - Constant
Unbuilt Roads
Die Automation verspricht uns eine Produktion, die die Bedürfnisse aller Menschen ohne menschliche Arbeitsleistung zufriedenstellt. Die Arbeit des Menschen ist nicht länger ein unumgängliches Produktionsmittel. Der Mensch steht erste. malig vor der Tat ...
Die Automation verspricht uns eine Produktion, die die Bedürfnisse aller Menschen ohne menschliche Arbeitsleistung zufriedenstellt. Die Arbeit des Menschen ist nicht länger ein unumgängliches Produktionsmittel. Der Mensch steht erste. malig vor der Tat ...
W4600
25.05.2011
INVESTIGATION2 - SASCHA MIKLOWEIT
WWW
SASCHA MIKLOWEIT Unrealized project for a public transport or railway station Title: INVESTIGATION2 INTRODUCTION INVESTIGATION2 is the continuation of my field research project which started 2010 with INVESTIGATION1 (for detailed material regarding ...
SASCHA MIKLOWEIT Unrealized project for a public transport or railway station Title: INVESTIGATION2 INTRODUCTION INVESTIGATION2 is the continuation of my field research project which started 2010 with INVESTIGATION1 (for detailed material regarding ...
W4291
24.05.2011
Madeleine Edberg
WWW
I have realized various installations on different current themes. The consequences of the accidents in nuclear centers from the years -50 to the present day, in Canada, France, United Kingdom, Russia, the USA, Japan... make you think: are they not pla ...
I have realized various installations on different current themes. The consequences of the accidents in nuclear centers from the years -50 to the present day, in Canada, France, United Kingdom, Russia, the USA, Japan... make you think: are they not pla ...