Municipal Museum of Fine Arts

The Museo Municipal de Bellas Artes is unique from every point of view. It is possible for the public to see and admire all of Argentina through the art displayed on its walls. For years the museum has been welcoming visitors on a daily basis. It is located in the heart of the city, on Calle 7 Esquina 50, a narrow street called Pasaje Dardo Rocha. Anyone who has been there will remember the never-ending steps leading to one of the most ambitious cultural Argentinian projects of the XX century.

The construction of the building was part of a dream, which began in 1883 on the land that belonged to the railway station which connected the city to the Federal District.

Architect Francesco Pinarolli used a strong Italian style for the design of the building. In the year 1930, the narrow street was named after the founder of the city. Dardo Rocha. During the 1970s, the building housed the Post Office headquarters.


From Oblivion to the Present

The venue had not been used for two decades until the year 1994 when some restoration and refurbishing works began in order to turn it into a true cultural stage for the people of La Plata. This change was welcomed by various sectors of society but above all by the young generation who appreciated the place and used it to display their own productions. The great cultural center of La Plata was about to start there.

The activities within the museum were divided by levels. The most frequently visited are on the ground floor. The Museo Municipal de Arte (MUMART) (Municipal Art Museum) the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo (MACLA) (Museum of Contemporary Art), the Museo y Galería Fotográfica (MUGAFO) (Photographic Gallery and Museum), a reading room, a restaurant called El Pasaje and a coffee place called Café de las Artes are located on that floor.

The first floor is used for those activities that needed more furniture or specific needs, like the Escuela Municipal de Bellas Artes (Municipal School of Fine Arts), the Arte Select movie theater or the Sala de Teatro Experimental Municipal (Municipal Hall of Experimental Theater).


Open Door to Art

Whatever room the visitor chooses, all of the displays blend with the colors of the masterpieces. There is no need to have a detail-oriented eye to see the artistic spirit that gives life to them. The rooms are painted in neutral colors which, together with the lights, play a vital role in attracting the visitor’s attention to the masterpieces.

Light refracts from the white ceiling and the spot lights highlight the special features of each object displayed. The curtains on the windows facing the street allow the natural light to filter and generate harmony in the environment.

Thus, a small interference from the outside world is created eliminating the normal “museum syndrome”. That term is used to describe the visual and psychic tiredness that some museums produce. All the citizens of La Plata know that the Mumart lit a flame more than a decade ago.

Both popular and novice artists display their works of art here. It is so simple that it can be summarized by one word: “culture”.