Description: MALBA was a museum that we just happened to stumble on by mistake while wandering up and down Avenida Libertador and Avenida Alcorta during a day walk. We were lured in by the buildings interesting contemporary exterior and it ended up being a very fun experience. Like most modern art museums the facade of the building itself is essentially modern art. MALBA is all glass and concrete and it is very hard to miss from the street.
Like everything else in Buenos Aires, the museum was VERY reasonably priced. Unlike a place like New York where you pay something like $12 or $15 to enter MoMA, the entry at MALBA is 4 pesos for adults and 2 for children (about $1 for adults in USD) Wednesdays are also free so if you are in the city for a whole week just go on a Wednesday and you don't even have to pay anything.
Like many other art museums MALBA has both a permanent and a rotating art collection which features a variety of works. Their permanent collection is focused exclusively of Latin American artists and they have works by famous artists such as Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Although art by Latin American artists is central to the theme of the museum, the actual works are on par with modern art museums around the world. On display are pieces in all mediums ranging from sculpture and paintings, to mobiles, drawings, crafts and so on. There was even a series of some sort of tarot cards on display in a case when we were there. Modern art is always intersting to look at, especially when you see pieces that you feel you could have easily made yourself. There was one exhibit that was essentially three sheets of fabric draped open with zippers that covered a large portion of an entire wall...
As we were leaving the museum we decided to have lunch in the cafe adjoining the lobby. I don't remember what it was called but this was pleasant surprise #2. The food was VERY good and again ridiculously cheap. I got a caprese salad with very fresh prosciutto and some sort of pesto aioli for about $3 USD. The main course was good as well but the salad was a standout. I think we each spent about $7 on the entire meal including beverages.
The area on Figueroa Alcorta near the museum features many parks and plazas and this is a great place to spend and afternoon and walk around.
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