MALBA in Buenos Aires marks 25 years with free week and founder interview

MALBA in Buenos Aires has turned 25, and the collector who founded it is telling the story in his own words.

ARTnews published an interview titled “Collector Eduardo F. Costantini on MALBA's 25th Anniversary” on Sept. 17, 2026, identifying Costantini as the collector behind the museum ARTnews. The museum said its birthday week runs from Sept. 17 to Sept. 21, 2026, with free admission on offer MALBA.

Costantini is the founder of MALBA, according to a museum statement. That statement also said he resumed the presidency of Fundación Malba, the foundation that runs the museum.

The party has a fixed calendar. MALBA said its anniversary gala would be held at the museum on Sept. 17, 2026. A separate museum notice gives Sept. 21, 2026 as the anniversary date.

MALBA is Buenos Aires’ museum of modern Latin American art, as described by the Buenos Aires Times. For the anniversary, the museum presents Latinoamérica en expansión, a new display of the Colección Malba–Costantini, its core holding of Latin American art MALBA.

The revamp started on May 1 and brings together 150 works, the Buenos Aires Times reported. Those works come from the museum’s holdings and from Costantini’s private collection Buenos Aires Times.

In the background sits a much larger expansion. ARTnews has reported that MALBA acquired the 1,233-work Daros Latinamerica Collection ahead of the anniversary. That acquisition nearly doubled its holdings.

For visitors, this means an easy way in. Free entry during the Sept. 17 to 21 week lowers the barrier for first-time visitors and returning locals alike. The 150-work hang gives newcomers a single-floor survey of the museum’s story so far.

What makes this stand out is the pairing of founder and institution. Costantini started the museum, stepped back, then returned to lead the foundation into its 25th year. Now both the anniversary interview and the new collection display carry his name alongside the museum’s.