The Body and the City

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1991, Agustina Leal approaches her work through a lens of deep observation. Her practice is rooted in the study of how we inhabit space, specifically looking at the tension between the human form and the urban landscape. She views cities not as mere collections of concrete and steel, but as living, breathing entities that interact with those who move through them. In her view, the people and animals that navigate these streets feed the city, becoming part of its very fabric.

Her research often explores how architecture and the body act as constructions of identity within a specific sociopolitical context. There is a certain weight to her themes, where the atmosphere of her work can shift between tenderness and fear. She looks at the ways in which the places we live can influence our reason and drive us toward unexpected actions in the dark. Through painting, photography, video, and installation, she captures these subtle, often unsettling, connections.

A Study of Shadows and Ritual

Much of Leal's work focuses on the relationship between the physical body and the structures of the city. She treats buildings and bodies as parallel constructions, where one can become the other. This perspective allows her to explore more esoteric themes, such as the presence of ritual or the feeling of being watched in an empty street. Her paintings often reflect a state of alert, capturing the moment when a familiar environment begins to feel strange.

One notable piece from 2019, titled Amanecer [Dawn], illustrates this focus on the intersection of life and death. The painting depicts the fence of the Chacarita cemetery, one of the oldest in Buenos Aires. It was inspired by a moment of seeing something left behind at a gate—a sign of a ritual that had vanished with the morning light. In her work, the cemetery is a place where secrets are kept and where what refuses to die continues to exist.

Exhibitions and Artistic Development

Leal’s academic background includes graduating from the Programa de Artistas UTDT at the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella in 2018. This training helped shape her multidisciplinary approach, allowing her to move between different media to express her findings. Her career has seen her participate in several notable exhibitions across Argentina and Mexico.

Some of her recorded exhibition history includes:

• Alimaña, at Galería NN in La Plata, Argentina (2019)
• Cuca, at Biquini Wax EPS in Mexico City, Mexico (2021)
• Penthouse, at Galería Grasa in Buenos Aires, Argentina (2022)
• Dos tacos de cochambre en el merendero del valle inquietante, at El arenero (2022)

Her work continues to examine the transit of public transportation as a trance that alters our perception of time. By focusing on these small, often overlooked movements and sensations, she brings attention to the quiet, intense relationship between the individual and the urban environment.