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.

Douglas Gordon - 5 year drive-by; proposal for a public artwork.

Grand Concours International D'Architecture  - Mahe Gilles

AUSSICHTSTURM, HOLZHAUS (WOHNHAUS), SCHWIMMBECKEN, FREIE FAHRT - Maria Eichhorn

Arrangement Stroom HCBK Den Haag - Ange Leccia

Art and Ourselves: A Proposal for the city of Nordhorn - Allen Rupperssberg

Messages to the Public - Nancy Spero

Dog Jaw Monument - A Futurist Tele-introject - Leon Golub

CIVITAS Stadtpostkarten - Lothar Baumgarten

Electronic Theater - Laurie Anderson

Tower Cranes, Paris  - Tadashi Kawamata

Agency of Unrealised Projects
Logo by Liam Gillick
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Date
Title
Source
Description
Tags
W4084
23.05.2011
"After the Council"  - Hunter/Lassal
WWW
"After the Council" (2006) is a playful reflection upon power and adornment on one level, as well as resources and recycling on another. ...
"After the Council" (2006) is a playful reflection upon power and adornment on one level, as well as resources and recycling on another. ...
W4750
27.05.2011
l’Arc d’University Street - Jack Mackie
WWW
For the better part of the last 75 years, Seattle’s Alaska Way Viaduct has dominated Seattle’s Central Waterfront. Now scheduled for demolition, Seattle will, as apparently planned, simply clearcut the viaduct form the waterfront in as attempted exor ...
For the better part of the last 75 years, Seattle’s Alaska Way Viaduct has dominated Seattle’s Central Waterfront. Now scheduled for demolition, Seattle will, as apparently planned, simply clearcut the viaduct form the waterfront in as attempted exor ...
W4525
25.05.2011
Boxing Meese - Nadja Verena Marcin
WWW
Boxing Meese _ Nadja Verena Marcin _ 2006 This poster with the written information, see below, was papered all over the Auguststrasse in Berlin-Mitte in 2006. Du bist angeklagt! Du hast Herrn Blum beleidigt! Herr Blum ist unschuldig!... Gesicht zeigen ...
Boxing Meese _ Nadja Verena Marcin _ 2006 This poster with the written information, see below, was papered all over the Auguststrasse in Berlin-Mitte in 2006. Du bist angeklagt! Du hast Herrn Blum beleidigt! Herr Blum ist unschuldig!... Gesicht zeigen ...
U9838
01.01.1985
Notebook Page: Home in the Form of a Banana with Garage,  - Claes Oldenburg
Unbuilt Roads
Pencil and watercolor on paper, 5 3/4 x 4 in. (14.6 x 10.2 cm) ...
Pencil and watercolor on paper, 5 3/4 x 4 in. (14.6 x 10.2 cm) ...
W10322
01.01.2009
The Untouchable  - John Xaviers
WWW
Proposal submitted by John Xaviers for City as Studio to SARAI, CSDS In the form of a graphic novel/essay, I would like to explore Delhi-Gurgaon bus journey. These buses which are always crowded become the space and occasion where physical touch is per ...
Proposal submitted by John Xaviers for City as Studio to SARAI, CSDS In the form of a graphic novel/essay, I would like to explore Delhi-Gurgaon bus journey. These buses which are always crowded become the space and occasion where physical touch is per ...
W4208
24.05.2011
One-way toilet - Will Foster
WWW
One-way toilet. Shitting in the street. 2001 A toilet for public use is sited in an inner city location. The walls of the toilet are made entirely from Pellicle mirror glass, which is partially reflective and partially transparent. ...
One-way toilet. Shitting in the street. 2001 A toilet for public use is sited in an inner city location. The walls of the toilet are made entirely from Pellicle mirror glass, which is partially reflective and partially transparent. ...
W4353
25.05.2011
Circular escalator - Ricardo Gomes
WWW
Circular escalator Through our research of the City of Perth’s master plan, the public success of the revitalization of Forrest Place not only depends upon the current restructuring already under way in the vicinity, but also upon the creation of a n ...
Circular escalator Through our research of the City of Perth’s master plan, the public success of the revitalization of Forrest Place not only depends upon the current restructuring already under way in the vicinity, but also upon the creation of a n ...
W4301
24.05.2011
“UDLU” Underground Desert Living Unit - Reynard Loki
WWW
“UDLU” Underground Desert Living Unit The UDLU (Underground Desert Living Unit) is a conceptual single-family dwelling installed below the surface of a desert ecosystem. PROJECT Create and install “UDLU” demo house in the Chihuahuan Dese ...
“UDLU” Underground Desert Living Unit The UDLU (Underground Desert Living Unit) is a conceptual single-family dwelling installed below the surface of a desert ecosystem. PROJECT Create and install “UDLU” demo house in the Chihuahuan Dese ...
W5092
11.09.2012
seductive against the grain - Harald Schole
WWW
¿Station at odds? Research and proposals for the South-Axis, Amsterdam The development of the great public transit stations of the present century can be compared to development processes of large urban complexes. The station area of the future will i ...
¿Station at odds? Research and proposals for the South-Axis, Amsterdam The development of the great public transit stations of the present century can be compared to development processes of large urban complexes. The station area of the future will i ...
W4121
23.05.2011
Connectivity II - Sara Schnadt
WWW
Sara Schnadt Connectivity II - Project Concept In this revolutionary moment, online tools are as dynamic as their implications for fundamentally changing information reception. As a technologist who also develops online artist resources, I am part of a na ...
Sara Schnadt Connectivity II - Project Concept In this revolutionary moment, online tools are as dynamic as their implications for fundamentally changing information reception. As a technologist who also develops online artist resources, I am part of a na ...
W3501
11.05.2011
The Replacement Weather - Rebecca Hackemann
WWW
The Replacement Weather consists of replacement clouds for replacement weather, consisting of sculptural light installation. In case the real clouds become defunct, obsolete or unusable, I am proposing a quasi spoof proposal format of a light and sculptur ...
The Replacement Weather consists of replacement clouds for replacement weather, consisting of sculptural light installation. In case the real clouds become defunct, obsolete or unusable, I am proposing a quasi spoof proposal format of a light and sculptur ...
W4400
25.05.2011
INCEPTION - Nick Sung
WWW
EPTION The installation of an exact replica of an AMC movie theatre in Emeryville, California in which a section of the end credits of Christopher Nolan's Inception will play, continuously looped, day and night, ad infinitum. Against the backdrop o ...
EPTION The installation of an exact replica of an AMC movie theatre in Emeryville, California in which a section of the end credits of Christopher Nolan's Inception will play, continuously looped, day and night, ad infinitum. Against the backdrop o ...
W4560
25.05.2011
The Reentry Project: Artificial Meteor Storms as Public Art  - Bill Dolson
WWW
Bill Dolson The Reentry Project: Artificial Meteor Storms as Public Art "Why is there no art in space, why do we have no exhibitions in the sky? Up to now we have left it up to war to light up the sky..." Otto Piene 1961 Reentry is a series of p ...
Bill Dolson The Reentry Project: Artificial Meteor Storms as Public Art "Why is there no art in space, why do we have no exhibitions in the sky? Up to now we have left it up to war to light up the sky..." Otto Piene 1961 Reentry is a series of p ...
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 ...
W4292
24.05.2011
Cross Pollination  - Anitra Hamilton
WWW
Anitra Hamilton 109 Niagara St. Box 21 Toronto, Ontario, M5V.1C3 Canada E anitra.hamilton@sympatico.ca P 416.504.5020 land P 647.408.4990 mobile Unrealized Project: Cross Pollination The project Cross Pollination consists of mounting Audio Par ...
Anitra Hamilton 109 Niagara St. Box 21 Toronto, Ontario, M5V.1C3 Canada E anitra.hamilton@sympatico.ca P 416.504.5020 land P 647.408.4990 mobile Unrealized Project: Cross Pollination The project Cross Pollination consists of mounting Audio Par ...
W3995
21.05.2011
Action Pants Proposal for Off the Strip - Cindy Rehm
WWW
Rejected proposal "Action Pants" for Off the Strip at the Contemporary Art Center, Las Vegas. Action Pants Proposal for Off the Strip Contemporary Art Center, Las Vegas February 2009 In 1968, artist Valie Export performed her work Action Pants ...
Rejected proposal "Action Pants" for Off the Strip at the Contemporary Art Center, Las Vegas. Action Pants Proposal for Off the Strip Contemporary Art Center, Las Vegas February 2009 In 1968, artist Valie Export performed her work Action Pants ...
W4246
24.05.2011
Untitled project - Nobuo Yoda
WWW
Untitled project Nobuo Yoda This project is a proposal for Daikanyama Installation 2009 that was rejected. Daikanyama Installation 2009 is a call for installations that is held every two years in Daikanyama area (Meguro Ward), ...
Untitled project Nobuo Yoda This project is a proposal for Daikanyama Installation 2009 that was rejected. Daikanyama Installation 2009 is a call for installations that is held every two years in Daikanyama area (Meguro Ward), ...
W4449
25.05.2011
20 Years After  - Xavier Rayuela
WWW
20 Years After As a par-time AIDS activist and militant, I decided to create an event to celebrate "A Day Without Art" by proposing an intervention / intrusion and re-staging residuals of my previous events related to AIDS. As an artist I was always fa ...
20 Years After As a par-time AIDS activist and militant, I decided to create an event to celebrate "A Day Without Art" by proposing an intervention / intrusion and re-staging residuals of my previous events related to AIDS. As an artist I was always fa ...
W5054
03.09.2012
Parish in Lezkairu - Taller Basico de Arquitectura [TBA]
WWW
Parish in Lezkairu (2011) The building takes an "L" form, as it differentiates two principal zones: the temple, which occupies one side of the "L", and the rooms and housings, that occupy the other side. Both areas coexist in a strong and unified image ...
Parish in Lezkairu (2011) The building takes an "L" form, as it differentiates two principal zones: the temple, which occupies one side of the "L", and the rooms and housings, that occupy the other side. Both areas coexist in a strong and unified image ...
U9774
01.01.1994
Arrangement Stroom HCBK Den Haag - Ange Leccia
Unbuilt Roads
l'ecran video Geant construit dans le prolongement de l'architecture de l'opera de la ville (Philipszaal) difuse en continue une image de la mer inversée. (Eventuellement raisons pour lesquelles le travail n'a pu etre realise) Cout élevé. (Trop!) ...
l'ecran video Geant construit dans le prolongement de l'architecture de l'opera de la ville (Philipszaal) difuse en continue une image de la mer inversée. (Eventuellement raisons pour lesquelles le travail n'a pu etre realise) Cout élevé. (Trop!) ...
W5386
20.10.2012
Vickie Jo Franks
WWW
My plan was to make the front yard a moss garden beneath large oak trees here and create moss sculptures including a nativity scene with little moss trees and small animals.I used recycable materials as the armatures.... ...
My plan was to make the front yard a moss garden beneath large oak trees here and create moss sculptures including a nativity scene with little moss trees and small animals.I used recycable materials as the armatures.... ...
W4537
25.05.2011
THE TRIANGLE SHIRTWAIST FACTORY FIRE MEMORIAL - Kristin Jones / Andrew Ginzel
WWW
THE TRIANGLE SHIRTWAIST FACTORY FIRE MEMORIAL New York, NY Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition October 2010 The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire • Occurred March 25, 1911 on the top three floors of the ten-story Asch Building (23-29 Washington Place, ne ...
THE TRIANGLE SHIRTWAIST FACTORY FIRE MEMORIAL New York, NY Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition October 2010 The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire • Occurred March 25, 1911 on the top three floors of the ten-story Asch Building (23-29 Washington Place, ne ...
W4419
25.05.2011
Things we never did  - beate rathmayr
WWW
Things we never did An archiv of unrealized ideas Idea / concept: Beate Rathmayr In december 2010 an archive at the artist association MAERZ showed things artists never did. For some weeks written, spoken and drafted fragments showed unfulfilled and u ...
Things we never did An archiv of unrealized ideas Idea / concept: Beate Rathmayr In december 2010 an archive at the artist association MAERZ showed things artists never did. For some weeks written, spoken and drafted fragments showed unfulfilled and u ...
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 ...
W5053
03.09.2012
Parish in Buztintxuri  - Taller Basico de Arquitectura [TBA]
WWW
Parish in Buztintxuri (2011) The building is principally developed on the ground floor. Functional issues make necessary to emerge a second level in the central area. This space contains technical spaces. The building is functionally differentiated ...
Parish in Buztintxuri (2011) The building is principally developed on the ground floor. Functional issues make necessary to emerge a second level in the central area. This space contains technical spaces. The building is functionally differentiated ...
W3673
15.05.2011
SOUNDFAIR  - Clara Meister
WWW
THE UTOPIA OF A SOUNDSHOW ʻTELL ME ALL, SHOW ME NOTHINGʼ INTRODUCTION UNREALIZED PROJECT INTRODUCTION OF THE FOUNDERS 4. REALIZED PORJECTS CONTACT: Clara Meister clara@soundfair.net www.soundfair.net INTRODUCTION SOUNDFAIR - EXHI ...
THE UTOPIA OF A SOUNDSHOW ʻTELL ME ALL, SHOW ME NOTHINGʼ INTRODUCTION UNREALIZED PROJECT INTRODUCTION OF THE FOUNDERS 4. REALIZED PORJECTS CONTACT: Clara Meister clara@soundfair.net www.soundfair.net INTRODUCTION SOUNDFAIR - EXHI ...