Collection
History
Since Art in Latin America, the exhibition with which Malba opened its doors in September 2001, the museum’s collection has undergone a significant transformation and expansion. The museum’s holdings originated with the donation made by Eduardo F.
Costantini of the two hundred and twenty works of Latin American art that comprised his private collection. Over the following decades, this ensemble has been enriched through new donations and acquisitions, as well as through curatorial and editorial research projects that have provided a rich foundation for critical interpretation. Malba has
thus built a plurality of reflections on its collection, its configuration, and its evolving narrative.
The genesis of Malba’s holdings is rooted in the collecting profile established by Eduardo F. Costantini during the 1990s. Costantini has stated that his strategy centers on acquiring outstanding works that represent key moments in the historical trajectory of canonical Latin American artists. Through his collecting activity, he also engages with global art networks and gains visibility in the media.
Today, the Malba Collection comprises more than 750 works and stands as an international point of reference for Latin American art.
Highlights
The Malba Collection safeguards, preserves, and exhibits works by the great creators of our continent, representing fifteen different countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
The holdings include major artists from across the region, among many others: Tarsila do Amaral, Rafael Barradas, Antonio Berni, Leonora Carrington, Emiliano Di Cavalcanti, Lygia Clark, Miguel Covarrubias, Antonio Dias, León Ferrari, Pedro Figari, Joaquín Torres García,
Rubens Gerchman, Víctor Grippo, Alfredo Guttero, Annemarie Heinrich, Kati Horna, Frida Kahlo, Gyula Kosice, Guillermo Kuitca, Wifredo Lam, Anna Maria Maiolino, Maria Martins, Roberto Matta, Ana Mendieta, Marta Minujín, Helio Oiticica, Juan Batlle Planas, Julio
Le Parc, Emilio Pettoruti, Héctor Poleo, Cándido Portinari, Lidy Prati, Carmelo Arden Quin, Emilio Renart, Diego Rivera, Alejandro Xul Solar, Lino Enea Spilimbergo, Grete Stern, Rufino Tamayo, Claudio Tozzi, Nicolás García Uriburu, Remedios Varo and Jorge de la Vega.
Acquisitions committee
In collaboration with the Curatorial Department, Malba’s Acquisitions Committee is a group of donors who not only contribute new works to the collection each year but also strengthen the ties between the museum and its community. Their support enables the museum to continue expanding its holdings with works by renowned Latin American artists,
thereby enriching its cultural legacy.
Acquisition policies
The museum’s acquisition strategies are renewed annually in relation to the context and the ongoing debates that define priorities and lines of action for the growth of the collection.
Main strategies:
Latin American Focus
To incorporate key artists from different countries in the region, continuing the founding vision of the Malba Collection, and to complete and enhance the representation of countries not yet included in the holdings.
Historical Works
To acquire pieces that broaden the understanding of significant artists and specific periods, establishing dialogues with other works, movements, and narratives within
the museum’s collection.
Malba Historiography
To include significant works by artists featured in the museum’s temporary exhibitions program.
Women Artists
To incorporate works by women artists, aiming for a more equitable gender representation within the Collection.
Indigenous Art
To include works produced by contemporary Indigenous artists and/or connected to the traditions of ancient Latin American cultures.
Representation of Minorities
To acquire works by artists from racial, sexual, and geographic minority groups, as well as those linked to emerging identity movements.
Contemporary Works
To identify and acquire relevant works and artists of the present with strong local and/or international projection that represent an opportunity for the Museum.