Buenos Aires's Anchor for Latin American Art

At a Glance

MALBA (Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires) is the city's flagship for 20th- and 21st-century Latin American art—Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Cuba, and Chile in one place. It opened in September 2001.

One Collector's Project

MALBA grew from the personal collection of Eduardo Costantini, who began acquiring systematically in the mid-1990s and donated about 220 works to launch the museum. AFT Arquitectos (Atelman, Fourcade, Tapia) designed the white-concrete building.

Must-See

• Frida Kahlo — Self-Portrait with Monkey and Parrot (1942).
• Tarsila do Amaral — Abaporu (1928), the seed of Brazilian modernism's "Antropofagia."
• Rivera, Lam, Matta grouped to read the Latin American modernist arc.
• Antonio Berni's Juanito Laguna collage series.
• Contemporary works by Varejão, Salcedo, Orozco.

Tips

Pair with the National Museum (MNBA) and Recoleta. About USD 8; free Wednesdays. 1.5–2 hours. Closed Tuesdays. Fifteen minutes by taxi from downtown.