Illán Argüello. The Emergence of Venus

As part of the EPICENTRE programme, CentroCentro is hosting an exhibition by artist Illán Argüello from 21 January to 1 March. It presents a visual reflection on an ambiguous and emotionally contradictory near future, which could be beautiful or unsettling depending on the observer.

The works exhibited shift between the artificial and the natural, focusing on the atypical, the indecipherable and the misunderstood. In many compositions, the human figure is absent or backgrounded so as not to interfere with the central idea, reinforcing the feeling of strangeness and isolation.

The creative process starts from nothing, from emptiness and the unimaginable, as the origin of thoughts that the artist constantly transforms. Through vague memories, forgotten images, or decontextualised everyday elements, the unconscious expels fragments that gradually come together in new forms. Architectures, landscapes and non-human but living characters emerge from unknown and unidentifiable backgrounds.

The work is structured as a precise visual narrative, built with a constructive iconography and highly-refined colours. The paintings act as mysterious, labyrinthine or barren habitats, where the paths do not guarantee a clear destination. Everything is carefully arranged, leaving little room for chance, like a diagram that translates the artist's inner perception and experience into images.

The artist Illán Argüello (Madrid, 1968) began his artistic career in 1996 with the Seiquer gallery in Madrid. After the gallery closed in 2001, he began working with Ramón García Alcaraz at the My Name's Lolita Art gallery. Since then, he has held around 25 solo exhibitions, both in Spain and abroad, and has participated in major collective shows and contemporary art fairs, such as ARCO, Urbanity, Drawing Room, Estampa, JUSTMAD, Artesantander, Scope and GIAF, among others.

EPICENTRE is a 'guest artist' programme created as a dynamic space for visibility and opportunity. An initiative that supports mid-career artists, recognising the quality of their work, their professional trajectory and their contribution to the current artistic landscape.

Image credits:

• The Emergence of Venus (detail), 2026. @Illán Argüello. VEGAP, Madrid, 2026. 250 x 200 cm. Oil on canvas