In an unexpected space in Madrid’s Barrio de las Letras, the Badr El Jundi Foundation, in collaboration with Art Secret Society, presented a conversation between two artists: Illan Argüello and Amba Sayal-Bennett. Both navigate an intersection between form, space, and perception. Illan’s works, which reference surrealist elements, diverge from surrealism in that his creations are logical and disturbingly coherent, while Amba’s practice often explores the relationship between form, space, and perception through intricate line work, bold shapes, and meticulous attention to detail.
Illan Argüello
Illan Argüello (born 1968) is a Spanish artist whose practice combines virtuosic technique with rich narrative content. His work develops a geometric figuration featuring buildings reminiscent of Italian fascist architecture, influenced in turn by Russian Constructivism, the Bauhaus school, and German Expressionist cinema. Although his work contains certain surrealist elements, it departs from surrealism in that his creations are logical and unsettlingly coherent. His practice explores the relationship between humans and nature, particularly within the urban environment, which he considers a second nature built by humans. He also works with landscapes and buildings composed of geometric forms. His worlds seem to exist independently, and their elements possess an internal logic.
Although his work has sometimes been grouped within the neo-metaphysical movement, the artist does not identify with this label. His influences include the paintings of Giorgio de Chirico and the literary work of H.P. Lovecraft.
Amba Sayal-Bennett
Amba Sayal-Bennett (born 1991) is a British-Indian artist working across drawing, projection, and sculptural installations. Her practice explores how methods of abstraction are both exclusive and performative, creating boundaries between what is present, manifestly absent, and the “other.” Her research focuses on the migration of rational forms and their role within fascist and brutalist architecture.
Using translation as a method, she investigates the movement of bodies, knowledge, and form across different sites—processes that are inherent to the diasporic experience.
Sayal-Bennett lives and works in London. She obtained her BFA from Oxford University, and an MA in Art History from the Courtauld Institute. She completed a PhD in Artistic Practice and Learning at Goldsmiths, and has published her practice-based research in Tate Papers. Amba is also the co-founder of Cypher Billboard, an artist-led public program presenting artworks on billboards and off-site projects across London.
