Museum of Latin-American Art of Buenos Aires (MALBA), Buenos Aires (must see)

The Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires, widely known as MALBA, is one of the city’s most important cultural institutions. It opened in 2001, founded by Argentine collector Eduardo F. Costantini, with the mission of preserving, studying, and promoting Latin American art while keeping it in dialogue with global artistic movements.

As you enter from the street, you will find a vast, light-filled atrium. To reach the museum’s central attraction—the permanent collection— take the long escalator directly to the first floor. The exhibition includes more than 200 works by 20th-century artists and offers a broad overview of Latin American artistic production, from early modernism to later experimental and politically engaged expressions. The permanent collection is laid out chronologically and by movement, and the easiest way to follow the highlights is to move clockwise through the galleries.

Once you reach the top of the escalator, enter the permanent collection galleries, beginning with the Brazilian Modernism section. There, look for a figure with oversized feet and a tiny head sitting beside a cactus under a bright sun. You have just found arguably the most important painting in the museum’s history—Abaporu by Brazilian artist Tarsila do Amaral. Painted in 1928, the work inspired Brazil’s Anthropophagic Movement, which argued that Brazilian artists should “eat” foreign influences and transform them into something uniquely their own.

Continue clockwise, and the art shifts from the experimental forms of the 1920s to the social concerns of the 1930s. Appropriately, Argentine painter Antonio Berni’s 1934 Manifestación captures the struggle and dignity of the Argentine working class during the global economic crisis. Its large scale makes it hard to miss.

Later in the circuit, look for Frida Kahlo’s 1942 Self-Portrait with Monkey and Parrot, a classic example of her intensely personal style. Notice the lush tropical foliage and the protective positioning of the animals around her. This smaller, more intimate work is displayed toward the latter half of the galleries, so you may need to look closely along the central walls.

Architecturally, MALBA is defined by a clean, contemporary design using stone, glass, and concrete. The interiors are filled with natural light, creating calm, well-balanced exhibition spaces that contrast with the busy avenues outside.

The second floor houses a theatre where classic and contemporary films from Argentina and abroad are screened. A well-stocked gift shop specializes in books on Latin American art in both English and Spanish, along with postcards, jewelry, and notebooks. A cafe rounds out the visit.