Some events, like the Sculpture Project in Munster and Documenta, have a history of attracting projects from artists that are too difficult or costly to realise, like Gabriel Orozco's Munster proposal in '97 to build a ferris wheel, half of which would be below ground level. Some may even be designed to fail, like Alina Szapocznikow"s plan to make a double-sized Rolls Royce out of marble for the 1972 edition of Documenta, which she termed "completely useless and a reflection of the god of supreme luxury." Her correspondence about this project has since been exhibited in various exhibitions.
Art Agenda reports that this year's Documenta has at least two ambitious failed projects. One is represented by two walls of correspondence from official organisations that once more address the Artistic Director, this time to answer her proposal of nominating the earth's atmosphere for UNESCO's World Heritage List, a project by American artist Amy Balkin. The epic, yet failed attempt to transport El Chaco meteorite to Kassel, undertaken by Argentinian duo Guillermo Faivovich and Nicholas Golberg, is also widely documented by various exchanges.
They are projects that may also find their way into another edition of Hans Ulrich Obrist's compendium of unrealised projects.
Image: Cover Unbuilt Roads, edited by Hans Ulrich Obrist
