<p>From Buenos Aires to Lima, local luminaries share the best museums, galleries, and restaurants</p>

Dan Durray

An insider’s guide through Latin America’s vibrant art capitals

<p><strong>Santiago de Chile:&nbsp;Victor Leyton, documentalist&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>Santiago de Chile museums are good, but documentalist Victor Leyton likes to remind visitors not to underrate the natural beauty of its Andes setting. ‘Just one hour from the city, there are several ski resorts,’ Leyton says. ‘I recommend renting a van and going straight up to Valle Nevado. Once you get there, order some pisco sour, enjoy the view and chill with the majestic condors flying by. You can do this at any time of the year. With or without snow, the place is spectacular.’ </p>

<p>Back in the city, Leyton recommends Espacio 218, a private, nonprofit project space located in the Portal Fernández Concha, one of the most emblematic buildings of the Plaza de Armas, the capital’s main square and historic center. Espacio 218 was created by Sebastian Calfuqueo, a young artist of Mapuche origin who has already earned a place on the international art scene and boasts an exhibition space, a residency, and a research program. If your tastes run a bit more traditional, check out <a href="https://www.artbasel.com/catalog/gallery/2810/Galer%C3%ADa-Isabel-Aninat" target="_blank">Aninat&nbsp;Galería</a>, run by a colorful mother-daughter duo, where you can find a perfect mix of geometric, conceptual, and political art of great Latin American figures.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Nearby food options include La Calma. ‘You cannot leave Chile without trying its seafood,’ Leyton says. ‘La Calma is a small but exclusive restaurant where you can have the full experience. I recommend the clams.’</p>

<p><strong>Buenos Aires:&nbsp;Florence Drake del&nbsp;Castillo, artist and collector</strong><br></p>
<p>Florence Drake del Castillo is a half-French, half-Argentine artist and collector who recently settled in London after nine years of splitting her time between Paris and Buenos Aires with her Argentine husband. ‘The best month to go is November,’ she says, ‘because November is not so cool in the rest of the world, but in Buenos Aires, you have the Polo Triple Crown, and the weather is nice, not too hot, the sky still beautiful most of the time, deep blue.’ </p>
<p>When it comes to museums, she recommends the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA), which was initially built around the collection of Eduardo Costantini and has since grown to host an encyclopedic collection of artists from the region – Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, <a href="https://www.artbasel.com/catalog/artist/7970/Fernando-Botero" target="_blank">Fernando Botero</a>, <a href="https://www.artbasel.com/catalog/artist/8757/Antonio-Berni" target="_blank">Antonio Berni</a>, and <a href="https://www.artbasel.com/catalog/artist/29439/Tarsila-do-Amaral" target="_blank">Tarsila do Amaral</a> among them. </p>
<p>For galleries, she recommends <a href="https://www.artbasel.com/catalog/gallery/1067/Ruth-Benzacar-Galeria-de-Arte" target="_blank">Ruth Benzacar</a>, founded in 1956, or, for a younger feel, Nora Fisch Gallery or <a href="https://www.artbasel.com/catalog/gallery/3457/Barro" target="_blank">Barro</a>, both of which are working hard to bring contemporary Argentine artists to the world stage. For hangouts with said artists, she recommends Bar Presidente. ‘It’s beautiful,’ she says. ‘Argentinians have great taste. They can do something amazing with very little. The bar is so well decorated you could be in New York.’</p>
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<p><strong>San Juan:&nbsp;Vannessa Ugobono, collector</strong><br></p>
<p>Regarding galleries in Puerto Rico, competing with the one that counts rapper Bad Bunny among its clientele is hard. But this is only part of the reason collector Vannessa Ugobono recommends Walter Otero Contemporary Art to visitors of San Juan. Sure, it’s important to make sure that Puerto Rican pop stars collect Puerto Rican artists. Still, Ugobono adds that Otero is ‘the only gallery here that actually takes artists and builds a career on them, like a gallery should do,’ representing the San Juan-based superstars Allora & Calzadilla, among others. <br></p>
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<p>For museums, Ugobono recommends the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico and the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, both located in selfie-friendly, mural-bedecked Santurce. The placita of that same neighborhood is a great hangout for artists on Thursday and Friday nights and home to Ugobono’s restaurant recommendation, Santaella, which offers upscale takes on the island’s cuisine. Also nearby is Cocina al Fondo, located in a charming old house.<br></p>
<p>For an insider’s tip, she recommends visiting The Berezdivin Collection at Espacio 1414, which offers great contemporary art from across Latin America. Opening times may vary, so be sure to email before you go. ‘And,’ she adds, ‘it’s always good to visit Old San Juan.’</p>
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<p><strong>Lima: Carlos&nbsp;Marsano, collector&nbsp;</strong><br></p>
<p>Carlos Marsano is a collector known for promoting Peruvian art through efforts like Artus, a nonprofit residency he co-founded. But, when it comes to tips on Lima, his local pride centers on food, like the restaurant Central, ranked number one this year on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. But when it comes to dining, he doesn’t only boost Peruvian cuisine. ‘We have the second-largest migration of Japanese people outside of Japan, the first being Brazil,’ he said. He recommends Tomo and Osaka, both of which offer high-end Japanese dishes with a strong Peruvian influence. ‘Peru is a country that has 83 microclimates so that we can grow almost anything,’ he said. ‘All this fusion has been able to create a fantastic contemporary cuisine.’ </p>
<p>Though the art is pretty great too. He recommends Museo Larco, which focuses on pre-Columbian art, with a noted collection of erotic pottery, Museo Amano for pre-Columbian textiles and, of course, the Museo Arte de Lima. When it comes to galleries, Marsano makes his recommendations quickly because there are many, all with extremely cool names: Ginsberg, Crisis, <a href="https://www.artbasel.com/catalog/gallery/1053/80m2-Livia-Benavides" target="_blank">80m2 Livia Benavides</a>, and <a href="https://www.artbasel.com/catalog/gallery/1257/Revolver-Galer%C3%ADa" target="_blank">Revolver</a>, which shows the Lima-based sculptor <a href="https://www.artbasel.com/catalog/artist/14001/Elena-Damiani" target="_blank">Elena Damiani</a>.</p>
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<p><br>This article was originally published in the <em>Art Basel Miami Beach</em> magazine 2023.</p>
<p>Published on November 27, 2023.</p>
<p>Captions for full-bleed images, from top to bottom: 1. A street scene in San Juan. 2. Street art in Santurce, San Juan. Photograph by&nbsp;Juan Cristobal Zulueta. 3.&nbsp;Museo Larco in Lima. Photograph by Velvet.</p>

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From Buenos Aires to Lima, local luminaries share the best museums, galleries, and restaurants

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