SpY installs giant black triangle in madrid square to explore urban surveillance

Installed in Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles directly fronting the Palacio de Cibeles, PANOPTICON by urban artist SpY is a large-scale temporary architectural installation configured as an equilateral black triangle measuring 20 meters on each side. The dark, monolithic geometry introduces an abrupt formal contrast against the ornate historic facade of the Palacio, directly intercepting established sightlines across the civic square.

The installation by Spanish urban artist SpY operates through an interplay of physical obstruction and mediated vision. While the opaque triangular volume physically blocks panoramic views of the urban context, discreet viewing apertures integrated along its perimeter invite visitors to peer inside. Each aperture is fitted with a display monitor wired to closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras mounted at the apex of the structure. Through these video feeds, fragmented live footage of surrounding traffic, pedestrians, and adjacent architecture is projected back to the viewer from elevated overhead vantage points. By positioning the observer to look through surveillance feeds of the surrounding public space, the installation engages Jeremy Bentham’s architectural panopticon model, examining how digital tracking systems, public observation, and camera mediation govern movement and privacy in contemporary cities.

PANOPTICON is a large-scale public art installation designed by SpY in Madrid, Spainthe installation occupies the center of Plaza de Cibeles, facing the historic Palacio de Cibelesthe temporary structure takes the form of an equilateral triangle measuring 20 meters per side