Culture, art and history in Argentina: 6 museums to visit in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires , the busy and bustling city that breathes gastronomy, good wines and tourist activities, is also culture and history. Did you know that this is where the renowned work Abaporu, by Brazilian artist Tarsila do Amaral, is exhibited? And that there is a museum dedicated to Evita Peron, with belongings and the entire history of this important figure for Argentina? And that there is a museum dedicated to contemporary art, with an emphasis on geometric abstraction?

With different profiles, the city’s museums offer guided tours, fixed and temporary exhibitions for those who don’t want to give up a cultural tour.

Check out six museums in Buenos Aires with different themes and proposals:

• Modern Museum

The Buenos Aires Museum of Modern Art is a public institution and was created in 1956. In a building restored in 2010 with a brick facade that previously housed a theater, it brings together more than 7,000 works by Argentine artists from the 40s, 50s and 60, as well as recognized international artists such as Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró. In line with its mission to always remain at the forefront of art, it also brings together current works and has important collections of graphic and industrial design. The space hosts a program of temporary exhibitions that can always be consulted at your site.

Avenida San Juan 350, San Telmo. Buenos Aires, Argentina/Tel.: (+54) 11 4361-6919/Opening hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, from 11am to 7pm; Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, from 11am to 8pm/General admission for foreigners: $3,000 (pesos) – around R$42.00; foreigners from Mercosur: $1,500 and residents $500. On Wednesdays entry is free

• Museum of Latin American Art (MALBA)

Housing one of the most important collections of Latin American art, MALBA is one of the best known in the city. In a modern space, it brings together around 400 works such as paintings, sculptures, photos and objects by great artists of the 20th century. It is there that Abapuru is on display, an iconic painting by Brazilian artist Tarsila do Amaral, recognized worldwide. Works by big names such as Frida Kahlo, Roberto Matta, Diego Rivera, Joaquín Torres-García, Antonio Berni, Jorge de la Vega, Pedro Figari, Lygia Clark and Guillermo Kuitca are also found there.

Avenida Figueroa Alcorta 3415 C1425CLA, Buenos Aires, Argentina/Tel.: +54 (11) 4808 6500/Opening hours: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, from 12pm to 8pm; on Wednesdays, from 11am to 8pm. Closed on Tuesdays. General admission costs $2,000 (Argentine pesos) – approximately R$30 reais at the official exchange rate. They can be purchased in the website; on Wednesdays, all visitors pay half.

• National Museum of Fine Arts

Opened in December 1896, the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes was born with the proposal to house international art from all historical periods, but mainly to promote and consolidate Argentine art, which was in its infancy at the time. Since 1933 it has been based in the old Recoleta Pump House, renovated by architect Alejandro Bustillo. During these years, notable pieces were incorporated, including Woman from the Sea, by Paul Gauguin, Le Moulin de la Galette, by Vincent van Gogh, and Jesus in the Garden of Olives, by El Greco.

In recent decades, works by great leaders of international modern art such as Pablo Picasso and Amedeo Modigliani have also become part of the collection, which today has more than thirteen thousand pieces from different artistic periods. The history of local production is highlighted in the museum’s rooms, with works by its greatest representatives such as Cándido López, Prilidiano Pueyrredón, Emilio Pettoruti, among others.

Avenida Del Libertador 1473, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina/Tel.: +54 (011) 5288-9900/Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday, 11am to 8pm; Saturdays and Sundays, from 10am to 8pm. Closed on Mondays. Free entrance.

• Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat Art Collection

Opened in 2008, this art collection is private and located in Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires. The space has more than 150 works by international artists, including paintings and objects, such as Rodin, Warhol, Turner, Dalí and Blanes. Argentine artists such as Badii, Berni, Quinquela Martín, Noé, Pérez Celis, Fader, Soldi and Xul Solar also gain space. The space’s collection is also available online, on the museum website.

Olga Cossettini 141, Puerto Madero Este, (1107) Buenos Aires, Argentina/Tel.: +54 (11) 4310-6600/Opening hours: Thursday to Sunday, from 12pm to 8pm. Entrance up to half an hour before closing/Tickets cost $1000 (Argentine pesos) – Approximately R$14.

MACBA Buenos Aires

The Buenos Aires Museum of Contemporary Art opened its doors in 2012 and was created with the purpose of promoting current local and international artistic expressions with an emphasis on geometric abstraction. It explores proposals and possibilities for new visual languages, mainly Latin American.

Currently, the museum has works from the most representative trends in international geometry. The historical figures of Argentine concrete art include Enio Iommi (1926), Gyula Kosice (1924) and Raúl Lozza (1911-2008). Of the later generations, in the sixties and seventies, Ary Brizzi (1930), Rogelio Polesello (1939) and Alejandro Puente (1933), representatives of optical art and “sensitive geometry”, respectively, in addition to their European contemporaries, the Italians of Arte Programmata, Toni Costa (1935), Alberto Biasi (1937) and Dadamaino (1930-2004), among other artists.

Avenida San Juan 328, C1147AAO Buenos Aires, Argentina/Tel.: (+54) 11 5263-9988/Opening hours: every day, except Tuesday, from 12pm to 7pm/Entrance costs 1,200 pesos (about R$ 17). More information can be found in the website.

Evita Museum

For those who love history and this important figure in Argentina’s past, the Evita Museum is one of the must-see attractions in Buenos Aires. It was opened in 2002, on the 50th anniversary of the death of María Eva Duarte de Perón (Evita). There, the visitor will find films, photos, clothing, personal items, souvenirs and many elements that recall different moments in her life until she reached her great representation in the country. The space offers a guided tour option, which can be scheduled in this link. A bar and restaurant make up the museum structure.

Lafinur 2988, B1738ECL CABA, Argentina/Tel.: (+54) 11 4807-9433/Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, from 11am to 7pm.

• Bonus tip: pay attention to the programming of Fundação Proa and Centro Cultural Kirchner, which have a schedule of temporary exhibitions and host art festivals and cultural events throughout the year.