Buenos Aires´s Museums
For art and culture lovers, there are dozens of museums, galleries and exhibition spaces in the city.
The largest concentration of museums is in what is known as the Milla de los Museos (the Museum Mile), a stretch of a mile or so up the Av. del Libertador from Recoleta to Palermo. More information (in Spanish) on museums in the city can be found in the Museum section of the BA Cultural Agenda.
Some of BA’s most popular museums are listed below.
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Av. del Libertador 1473, Recoleta). The excellent National Fine Arts Museum houses the nation’s largest and most important collection of Argentine art, plus a number of European works from the likes of Goya, Rodin, Rembrandt, Rubens, Renoir, Degas, Cézanne, Chagall and Picasso. Free English tours run on Tuesdays and Fridays at 12pm and Saturdays at 2pm.
Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA) (Av. Figueroa Alcorta 3415, Palermo). An impressive modern building, the MALBA contains works by Argentine greats, like Antonio Berni and Jorge de la Vega, and other Latin American masters, like Frida Kahlo, Tarsila do Amaral and Diego Rivera. The museum regularly hosts lectures and seminars, and has a small cinema specializing in cult and art-house retrospectives.
Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires (MAMBA) (Av. San Juan 350, San Telmo). A refurbished tobacco factory, the city’s Modern Art Museum has over 6,000 works, including by Josef Albers, Antonio Berni, Curatella Manes, Raquel Forner, Romulo Macció, Marta Minujín, Emilio Pettoruti, Xul Solar, Wassily Kandinsky, Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró and Henri Matisse.
Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo (Av. del Libertador 1902, Recoleta). Containing over 4,000 pieces of decorative art, the National Decorative Arts Museum is housed in a suitably sumptuous building and has a great little café (the Croque Madame Café) and bookshop.
Museo Evita (Lafinur 2988, Palermo). In a converted shelter for displaced women frequented by Eva Perón herself, this museum displays artefacts from Evita’s life, including dresses, jewellery, posters and photos. If you don’t speak Spanish, it is recommended you take one of the guided tours in English. The Museum’s courtyard café is a nice bonus.
Coleccion de Arte Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat (Olga Cossettini 141, Puerto Madero). On the elegant Puerto Madero riverside is the eclectic private collection of Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat, a mishmash of Argentine and European artworks from the last two centuries, including a signature Warhol portrait of the patron herself and works by Turner, Bruegel and Chagall. The collection also includes photographs and ancient Egyptian artefacts.
Fundación PROA (Av. Pedro de Mendoza 1929, La Boca). Facing the La Boca waterfront right next door to El Caminito, Fundación PROA is a cool contemporary art space. Its upstairs café has great views of the old Riachuelo port.
A list of galleries in BA can also be found on the Gallery Nights website and the artebaires website.
Once a year in November around 200 museums and cultural spaces across the city open their doors for free. The next edition of ‘La Noche de los Museos’ will take place on Saturday 8 November 2014; all participating venues stay open until 3am.
Another cultural circuit, known as the Gallery Nights, takes place several times a year in the Palermo and Recoleta/Barrio Norte areas. Over 60 smaller art galleries and private collections open their doors late to showcase new exhibitions and artists. Circuit maps can be downloaded from the website.
Cultural Centro de Recoleta (Junín 1930, Recoleta). A large multidisciplinary arts space boasting art and photography exhibitions, music festivals and shows, a cinema and various arts workshops for students.
Usina del Arte (Av. Don Pedro de Mendoza 501, La Boca). This handsomely-restored former electricity factory has world-class acoustics and shows take place daily: pick from classical, tango, Latin American folk and jazz. Art and photography exhibitions are also held here. Guided tours are available in English throughout the week.
Centro Cultural General San Martín (Av. Corrientes 1530, Montserrat). A giant 12-story complex with spaces devoted to theatre, dance, circus, cinema, art and photography, and various workshops and educational courses for children and students.