One of the exciting things that I love about Buenos Aires is the surprise factor you can experience as a visitor or resident. Like for instance, when you walk into a mall, and find out that there’s a fresco painted on the ceiling by Raúl Soldi, one of the most important painters of Argentina. But that’s just part of the surprise. I am talking specifically about Galerías Santa Fe, located on the commercial avenue of the same name in Barrio Norte. This mall also features another Soldi's painting that was kept hidden behind piles of boxes inside one of the stores and was deteriorated, and even more artworks from other famous artists. I believe that even Marc Augé would agree that sometimes, “Non-Places” can be surprising.

Take for instance, the former theater Grand Splendid, located just two blocks away from Galerías Santa Fe, and now turned into a bookstore. I remember going to this cinema when I was a teenager and thinking that I was at the Colón. The theater opened on 14th May 1919 and was converted into a cinema in 1926. The ceiling has frescoes by Italian artist Nazareno Orlandi. It closed on 4th December 2000. Since then, it serves as ‘El Ateneo’, probably the most luxurious of all the bookshops in the world! The architect for the conversion retained as much as possible of the original decorative details. There is a cafe located on the former stage and it is allowed to take photographs. This is definitely another great surprise for a distracted passerby looking for a book.

Una característica fascinante que me encanta de Buenos Aires es el factor sorpresa que uno puede experimentar, como visitante o residente. Como por ejemplo, al entrar en una galería comercial y descubrir que hay un fresco pintado en el techo por Raúl Soldi, uno de los artistas más importantes de Argentina. Pero ésta es solamente una parte de la sorpresa. Me refiero específicamente a las Galerías Santa Fe, ubicadas en la avenida comercial homónima en Barrio Norte. Este centro comercial exhibe además, otra obra de Soldi, que estuvo escondida y deteriorada dentro de uno de los locales, y más obras de arte de otros artistas de renombre. Creo que hasta Marc Augé reconocería que a veces, los “no-lugares” pueden ser sorprendentes.

Tomemos otro ejemplo, el ex-cine Grand Splendid, transformado en librería, a sólo dos cuadras de la galería mencionada previamente. Recuerdo cuando lo frecuentaba como cine cuando era una adolescente y pensaba que estaba en el Colón. El teatro fue inaugurado el 14 de Mayo de 1919 y luego convertido en cine en 1926. La cúpula presenta frescos del artista italiano Nazareno Orlandi. El cine dejó de funcionar en diciembre del 2000. Desde ese entonces, allí funciona ‘El Ateneo’, probablemente una de las librerías más lujosas del mundo. El arquitecto encargado de la refacción se encargó de mantener la mayor cantidad posible de los detalles decorativos originales. En lo que fuera el escenario, hoy encontramos una confitería y permiten tomar fotografías. Ésta es definitivamente otra hermosa sorpresa para cualquier transeúnte que entra desprevenido en búsqueda de un libro.

Labels: Art, Buenos Aires, El Ateneo, Galerías Santa Fé, Grand Splendid, shopping

New exhibition at the Centro Cultural Recoleta.

Nueva muestra en el Centro Cultural Recoleta.

Labels: Art, CCR, Noé

Labels: Art

If you happen to be in Buenos Aires from September 4 until the end of the month, you can check out the photography exhibition “Portraits of Buenos Aires” from Porteña, a Flickr group I’m part of.
The exhibition will take place at the Bar Palacio Museo Fotográfico SIMIK, on 3901 Federico Lacroze Ave., in Chacarita. It can be visited from Monday to Saturday, from 8 AM 'til midnight. It is a very nice café where, besides regarding photos of BA, you can have a cup of coffee or drink a beer, surrounded by antique cameras. I hope you enjoy it.

Si están en Buenos Aires entre el 4 y el 30 de septiembre, pueden visitar la muestra de fotografía "Retratos de Buenos Aires", del grupo Porteña de Flickr, del que formo parte.
La muestra es en el Bar Palacio Museo Fotográfico SIMIK, en la Av. Federico Lacroze 3901, en Chacarita. Pueden pasar de lunes a sábados de 8 a medianoche. Además de observar fotos de Buenos Aires, allí podrán tomar un café o disfrutar de una cerveza, rodeados de cámaras antiguas. Ojalá lo disfruten.

Labels: Art, Photography

At the Galerías Pacífico Shopping Mall, located at the corner of Florida St. and Córdoba Ave., you can enjoy these fabulous murals by distinguished Argentine artists such as Antonio Berni, Juan Carlos Castagnino, Lino Spilimbergo, Manuel Colmeiro and Demetrio Urruchúa.

En el Shopping Galerías Pacífico, ubicado en Florida y Av. Córdoba, pueden apreciar estos murales fabulosos pintados por los maestros argentinos Antonio Berni, Juan Carlos Castagnino, Lino Spilimbergo, Manuel Colmeiro y Demetrio Urruchúa.

Labels: Architecture, Art, Downtown

Hi. It's been a while. Today I visited the Museo de Arte Popular José Hernández on Del Libertador Ave. and Bulnes St. There is an exhibition of Mapuche art from the Nicolás García Uriburu's collection. You can visit it until 9/16. Read more info here and enjoy my pictures.

Hola. Pasó un tiempito desde mi última entrada en este blog. Hoy visité el Museo de Arte Popular José Hernández en Av. del Libertador y Bulnes. Hay una muestra de arte Mapuche de la colección de Nicolás García Uriburu. La pueden visitar hasta el 16/9. Más info aquí. Espero que les gusten mis fotos.

Labels: Art, mapuche Museo de Arte Popular José Hernández, Museum

While I was organizing some folders on my PC earlier today, I found some pictures I took which I’d like to share with you. They belong to a couple of art exhibitions I attended at the Centro Cultural Recoleta (photo above) last July.

The first ones belong to artist Lydia Galego and are really striking.

They evoke the dictatorial governments we had.

Then, artist Mirta Kupferminc exhibited her engravings and artworks inspired on Borges & the Cabala.



Hoy estaba organizando mis carpetas en la computadora cuando encontré estas fotos que quisiera compartir con Uds. Las tomé en julio en dos muestras de arte que recorrí en el Centro Cultural Recoleta (foto anterior).
Las primeras pertenecen a la escultora Lydia Galego y remiten a las dictaduras militares y los desaparecidos.
Las demás, son grabados e instalaciones que Mirta Kupferminc presentó, inspirada en Borges y la Cábala.

Labels: Art

Labels: Art, Museum

The Museo de Arte Popular José Hernández houses Argentine crafts & folk art.

Ceramics, wood, wool, leather, gourd and silver are some of the artworks' materials which can be found here.
It is located in Palermo Chico and now offers a collection of ritual masks from many countries of America.
More info here.

Labels: Art, Museum

The Museo de Arte Hispanoamericano Isaac Fernández Blanco is located on Suipacha St. between Del Libertador Ave. and Arroyo St. It suffered damages from the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy (which was located right at the corner) but was repaired.

The museum is an old mansion from 1921. It houses a beautiful collection of colonial art and there is a marvelous temporary exhibition which gathers pieces from 12 museums from Catamarca, Santiago del Estero, Salta & Tucumán, a region known as N.O.A. (northeast of Argentina). 400 objects made in diverse materials by Pre-Columbian cultures are exhibited until September 10th. It’s worth a visit.

The permanent collection includes different rooms showing furniture, religious oils, colonial silverware, antiques, and even concerts take place regularly. Visitors must pay only $1 for the entrance. I consider that the authorities should increase its fee in order to hire a gardener. The gorgeous garden really deserves it. It’s a pity it’s not well-kept. I also suggest they should add a café, since the place is really wonderful.

I can’t believe I have never gone before to this museum. Have you?

Labels: Art, Museum