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.

Project for the Initiative Mahnmal Homosexuellenverfolgung, Frankfurt  - Jeff Wall

Monument to Democracy - Kounellis

The World Record - General Idea

No title, as the project only reached proposal stage - Rikrit Tiravanija

La Guerra De Los Simbolos - Victor Grippo

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

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

Social Resource Project For the Munich Olympics - Stephen Willats

Eislandschaft - P. Fischli und D. Weiss

Relatum (Iron Plate and Stone) - Lee Ufan

Agency of Unrealised Projects
Logo by Liam Gillick
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Date
Title
Source
Description
Tags
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 ...
W5310
17.10.2012
NaoKo TakaHashi
WWW
This project is to dress the entire serpentine Gallery in circus tents and invite visitors to be hypnotised to experience a false memory. ...
This project is to dress the entire serpentine Gallery in circus tents and invite visitors to be hypnotised to experience a false memory. ...
W4486
25.05.2011
12 Swings In a Circle - Veronica Wilton
WWW
W4763
28.05.2011
Postpone - Postpone
WWW
Postpone is a creative agency, not yet created (but coming soon) gathering smart artistic workers operating in design, film and photography. The agency (T.M., O.Q., Y.B. and A. the secretary) are based in Oslo, London and Provence. Very near from some of ...
Postpone is a creative agency, not yet created (but coming soon) gathering smart artistic workers operating in design, film and photography. The agency (T.M., O.Q., Y.B. and A. the secretary) are based in Oslo, London and Provence. Very near from some of ...
W4816
07.08.2012
Photographs of Common Objects - Bradley Olson
WWW
For the series of black and white still life’s, Photographs of Common Objects, I used a 4” x 5” view camera to capture in fine detail, the form and surface of relics from daily life. Among them - adding machines, ceramic, glass, and plastic cups, ki ...
For the series of black and white still life’s, Photographs of Common Objects, I used a 4” x 5” view camera to capture in fine detail, the form and surface of relics from daily life. Among them - adding machines, ceramic, glass, and plastic cups, ki ...
W3620
14.05.2011
GORGES - JACQUELINE BELOTTI
WWW
“The lift is the most widely used means of transport in big cities. The metal box illuminated, panel with buttons and, in some cases, a mirror, gives the vertical displacement in a very simple way, and requires us to share our living space with stranger ...
“The lift is the most widely used means of transport in big cities. The metal box illuminated, panel with buttons and, in some cases, a mirror, gives the vertical displacement in a very simple way, and requires us to share our living space with stranger ...
W4185
24.05.2011
The Circumference is Everywhere - Daniel R Small
WWW
The Circumference is Everywhere, 2011 100 miles Northeast of Los Angeles in the Mojave Desert lies a city abandoned in advance of itself, a ruin that is an aerial monument to misguided optimism that was conceived of by Nat Mendelsohn and intended to r ...
The Circumference is Everywhere, 2011 100 miles Northeast of Los Angeles in the Mojave Desert lies a city abandoned in advance of itself, a ruin that is an aerial monument to misguided optimism that was conceived of by Nat Mendelsohn and intended to r ...
W3840
19.05.2011
One month of picnics. - Ding Ren
WWW
What better place for art and life to intersect, interweave, and co-mingle than in food? In the making, consumption, and presentation of food. Everyone needs to eat, and there are so many politics in this necessity. When art is food and food is art, t ...
What better place for art and life to intersect, interweave, and co-mingle than in food? In the making, consumption, and presentation of food. Everyone needs to eat, and there are so many politics in this necessity. When art is food and food is art, t ...
W4996
30.08.2012
Chinese American Flag - Maarten Daudeij
WWW
(Working) Title: Chinese American Flag Artist: Maarten Daudeij (The Netherlands, Australia) Year of origination of idea: 2011 Concept: To wave a large size flag of which the design is a collage of the Chinese and the American Flag on top of the Museum ...
(Working) Title: Chinese American Flag Artist: Maarten Daudeij (The Netherlands, Australia) Year of origination of idea: 2011 Concept: To wave a large size flag of which the design is a collage of the Chinese and the American Flag on top of the Museum ...
W5454
20.10.2012
UNTITLED - Sonia Foder
WWW
UNTITLED It was supposed to be a long-term project. I dreamed about it for long time. Portrait photography is one of the biggest challenges in photography. Photographers identity and relational dynamics between photographer and model are crucial. Por ...
UNTITLED It was supposed to be a long-term project. I dreamed about it for long time. Portrait photography is one of the biggest challenges in photography. Photographers identity and relational dynamics between photographer and model are crucial. Por ...
W3648
15.05.2011
Lima 2427 - Camila Bustamante
WWW
Imaginative launch campaign for the Lima Urban Train (Peru) The works for the urban train of Lima (Peru) began in the middle ’80’s and were never completed due to the economic crisis and the incompetence of some governors. ...
Imaginative launch campaign for the Lima Urban Train (Peru) The works for the urban train of Lima (Peru) began in the middle ’80’s and were never completed due to the economic crisis and the incompetence of some governors. ...
W4230
24.05.2011
Monument for bridges. - Dico Kruijsse
WWW
Monument for bridges. Visuals of a monumental sculpture to be made out of the remains of two countryside bridges. A road of about 20 kilometres long was rebuild. Therefore as much as 50 bridges accessing the farmlands where taken apart and demolished. ...
Monument for bridges. Visuals of a monumental sculpture to be made out of the remains of two countryside bridges. A road of about 20 kilometres long was rebuild. Therefore as much as 50 bridges accessing the farmlands where taken apart and demolished. ...
W4706
26.05.2011
Subway Turnstile Sounds - Sasha Sumner
WWW
Subway Turnstile Sounds - Sasha Sumner © 2011 Imagine paying/swiping your subway card, and instead of hearing the generic beep of the NYC subway turnstile, you hear a strange or beautiful or fun sound. In a row of turnstiles, as more people go through, ...
Subway Turnstile Sounds - Sasha Sumner © 2011 Imagine paying/swiping your subway card, and instead of hearing the generic beep of the NYC subway turnstile, you hear a strange or beautiful or fun sound. In a row of turnstiles, as more people go through, ...
W4610
25.05.2011
Flags of Empire - Dread Scott
WWW
Flags of Empire would be a circle of flagpoles each flying a flag of a past or present empire. The flags are from the following countries: Japan, Spain (17th century flag), Nazi Germany, France, Rome (vexillum from the ancient Roman Empire), Russia, Otto ...
Flags of Empire would be a circle of flagpoles each flying a flag of a past or present empire. The flags are from the following countries: Japan, Spain (17th century flag), Nazi Germany, France, Rome (vexillum from the ancient Roman Empire), Russia, Otto ...
W4300
24.05.2011
Laundry Line - zavick botha
WWW
Washing clothes and laundry lines are common day to day images of human activity throughout most of the world. Although in Western society something so ordinary now takes place behind closed doors. Some people use clothes to express their identity, in oth ...
Washing clothes and laundry lines are common day to day images of human activity throughout most of the world. Although in Western society something so ordinary now takes place behind closed doors. Some people use clothes to express their identity, in oth ...
W3864
19.05.2011
Nova Jiang
WWW
A rejected finalist proposal for a public sculpture designed by the public online. Each online participant determines the shape of a sculptural element, which can be assembled by visitors to the park. ...
A rejected finalist proposal for a public sculpture designed by the public online. Each online participant determines the shape of a sculptural element, which can be assembled by visitors to the park. ...
W3844
19.05.2011
I want to do the laundry; or rather I want to finish the laundry - Svava Thordis Juliusson
WWW
TO: Agency of Unrealized Projects I want to do the laundry; or rather I want to finish the laundry. It is a project that poses vague theoretical and aesthetic questions, but to explore possible ways to put an end to this task could forever change the t ...
TO: Agency of Unrealized Projects I want to do the laundry; or rather I want to finish the laundry. It is a project that poses vague theoretical and aesthetic questions, but to explore possible ways to put an end to this task could forever change the t ...
W4726
26.05.2011
The Centralizer - Scott Richardson
WWW
The Centralizer The inspiration for this device came about to address the plight of the city-dweller trapped in a densely populated urban environment, who needed to decompress, ground themselves, and/or get in touch with nature and natural rhythms, a ...
The Centralizer The inspiration for this device came about to address the plight of the city-dweller trapped in a densely populated urban environment, who needed to decompress, ground themselves, and/or get in touch with nature and natural rhythms, a ...
W4649
25.05.2011
Treska - Utopian Recreation  - Lundebye & Tham
WWW
Treska - Utopian Recreation | Recreating Utopia is a collaboration between Anette Lundebye and Mathilda Tham in partnership with Press to Exit Project Space, Macedonia. This project was invited as part of Press to Exit’s programme: Lectures, Presentati ...
Treska - Utopian Recreation | Recreating Utopia is a collaboration between Anette Lundebye and Mathilda Tham in partnership with Press to Exit Project Space, Macedonia. This project was invited as part of Press to Exit’s programme: Lectures, Presentati ...
W3965
21.05.2011
OKAMOTO Mitsuhiro
WWW
In this case, I mean unaccomplished exhibition period as 'unrealized project'. After the show started, Louis Vuitton has asked KOBE FASHION MUSEUM to stop showing my artwork 'Batta Mon', to stop selling the show catalog and also to remove the show poster ...
In this case, I mean unaccomplished exhibition period as 'unrealized project'. After the show started, Louis Vuitton has asked KOBE FASHION MUSEUM to stop showing my artwork 'Batta Mon', to stop selling the show catalog and also to remove the show poster ...
W4628
25.05.2011
The Hackney Flyover - David Cotterrell
WWW
The Hackney Flyover Driving London Forward In 2008 the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) received a long-awaited feasibility study from their cost-consultants, Turner and Townsend Group. While the Olympic site development cost projections were consider ...
The Hackney Flyover Driving London Forward In 2008 the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) received a long-awaited feasibility study from their cost-consultants, Turner and Townsend Group. While the Olympic site development cost projections were consider ...
W5168
25.09.2012
Interviews with Germans - Grace Schwindt
WWW
In 2010 I went to New York to conduct interviews with eleven Germans, who live there. They include two writers, two visual artists, an electrician, a gynaecologist, an historian, a musician, a receptionist, a social worker, a diplomat. Grace Schwindt 1 ...
In 2010 I went to New York to conduct interviews with eleven Germans, who live there. They include two writers, two visual artists, an electrician, a gynaecologist, an historian, a musician, a receptionist, a social worker, a diplomat. Grace Schwindt 1 ...
W5905
18.10.2013
Temp - Matthijs Muller
WWW
Temp (pronounced: Temp-io) is a pavilion that offers protection against sun and rain. The only way to reach the pavilion is by crossing a circle of sand and inevitably leave your traces in the sand. Visitors are invited to erase their traces by rotatin ...
Temp (pronounced: Temp-io) is a pavilion that offers protection against sun and rain. The only way to reach the pavilion is by crossing a circle of sand and inevitably leave your traces in the sand. Visitors are invited to erase their traces by rotatin ...
W5285
16.10.2012
Asurini  - Adriana
WWW
Asurini – Textile Design It was my last years in University (2006) when I developed and designed this project. It took 9 months searching and designing it. I was fascinated about the local (Brazilian Indians Asurini) body painting and the story behin ...
Asurini – Textile Design It was my last years in University (2006) when I developed and designed this project. It took 9 months searching and designing it. I was fascinated about the local (Brazilian Indians Asurini) body painting and the story behin ...
W4558
25.05.2011
rezaafsari
WWW
W5481
21.10.2012
Jae Yeon Chung
WWW
This work is about an imaginary private emergency shelter underneath church crypt. The work consists of a short video and two installed pieces, one inside and one outside the church, which demarcate the entrance and the exit to the emergency shelter.... ...
This work is about an imaginary private emergency shelter underneath church crypt. The work consists of a short video and two installed pieces, one inside and one outside the church, which demarcate the entrance and the exit to the emergency shelter.... ...