Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA) | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
| Established | September 20, 2001 (2001-09-20) |
|---|---|
| Location | Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Type | Latin American art (20th century–present) |
| Collection size | Costantini Collection |
| President | Eduardo Costantini |
| Curator | Marcelo E. Pacheco |
| Website | malba.org.ar |
TheLatin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires (Spanish:Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires, mostly known for its acronymMALBA) is anart museum located onFigueroa Alcorta Avenue, in thePalermo section of Buenos Aires.
Created byArgentine businessmanEduardo Costantini, the museum is operated by thenot-for-profitFundación MALBA – Costantini, and was inaugurated on September 21, 2001.[1]
The institution was organized around the Costantini Collection, and has continued to expand its selection of works from modern artists across Latin America. It also maintains a cultural center, which stages art and film exhibitions and develops cultural activities. The museum receives over a million visitors annually, and is sustained by over 1,400 active patrons.[2]
The mission of the MALBA is to collect, preserve, research and promoteLatin American art from the onset of the 20th century to the present. This involves educating the public about Latin American artists, and the diversity of cultural and artistic holdings in this region.
MALBA—PUERTOS, a satellite space in the town of Escobar opened in 2024.[3]
The museum design was made through an open call contest; 450 proposals from 45 countries were presented.[4] The selection was made by an international jury of architects, and the first prize was awarded to three young Argentinian architects: Gaston Atelman, Martin Fourcade and Alfredo Tapia.[citation needed] The building project was executed by AFT Architects, an Argentine architectural firm. In 1998, Costantini began construction on a large plot onAvenida Figueroa Alcorta.[1]
Among the collection's highlights isFrida Kahlo'sAutorretrato con chango y loro (1942), which in 1995 cost Costantini $3.2 million and which set the record price for Kahlo at the time. Other notable works in the collection includeAbaporu (1928) byTarsila do Amaral, bought in 1995 for almost $1.5 million;Baile en Tehuantepec (1928) byDiego Rivera, for which Costantini paid $15.7 million atPhillips in 2016;[5] andLa Grande Dame (The Cat Woman, 1951), a sculpture byLeonora Carrington purchased for $11.3 million in 2024.[5]
(in Spanish, English, and Portuguese)| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
34°34′37.1″S58°24′12.2″W / 34.576972°S 58.403389°W /-34.576972; -58.403389