Architecture News

Malba's Vision: Cultivating Art and Community Underground

Innovative Subterranean Growth: Malba's Vision for Expansion

Celebrating its silver jubilee, Malba is set to initiate a groundbreaking expansion project directly beneath Plaza Perú in Buenos Aires. Frida Escobedo Studio has been entrusted with this task, which will see the museum's exhibition area double. This forward-thinking architectural plan involves constructing new facilities underground, ensuring that the public park above remains untouched and accessible. The project, currently in its design phase, anticipates opening its doors to the public between late 2029 and early 2030, promising an exciting new chapter for the institution.

Enhancing Public Engagement and Versatile Spaces

The expansion will significantly enrich Malba's offerings, introducing dedicated galleries for temporary exhibitions, a state-of-the-art auditorium, and versatile spaces designed for a wide array of public programs. Furthermore, workshops and storage facilities will be relocated into the enlarged underground area. A unique outdoor courtyard will bring natural light and open air into the subterranean museum. The design emphasizes continuity with the plaza, allowing Malba to grow substantially without encroaching upon the valuable public space at ground level.

A Reimagined Museum Experience: Parallel Functionality

Frida Escobedo Studio views this endeavor not merely as an extension but as a fundamental reordering of Malba's operational framework. The existing museum and the new underground sections will be interconnected through a diverse mix of functions. This includes specialized zones for exhibitions, alongside areas for film screenings, literary events, educational initiatives, and various other public uses. The architectural concept aims to decouple these activities from the traditional museum visit path, offering greater independence and flexibility.

Flexible Operations and Extended Accessibility

The new design champions operational flexibility; for instance, the auditorium can function as part of the main visitor circuit during regular museum hours or host independent screenings in the evening. This adaptable model also applies to educational workshops and discussions. This strategic approach provides an additional dimension to the expansion beyond mere increased square footage, enabling Malba to extend its operational hours and simultaneously host multiple programs, thereby broadening its reach and impact.

The Journey to Expansion: A Decade-Long Vision Realized

The concept of expanding Malba beneath Plaza Perú first emerged in 2011, with initial plans for an additional 3,840 square meters, complementing its existing 7,455-square-meter structure. Buenos Aires granted approval for this proposal in the subsequent year, based on preliminary designs by Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott, establishing a thirty-year timeframe for construction. This long-standing vision is now being brought to fruition by Frida Escobedo Studio.

Frida Escobedo Studio: A Legacy of Architectural Innovation

Frida Escobedo, who established her practice in Mexico City in 2006 and later opened a New York office in 2022, brings a wealth of experience to this project. Her impressive portfolio includes significant museum commissions, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art's new Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing in New York. The studio is also actively involved in the renovation of the Centre Pompidou in Paris, collaborating with Moreau Kusunoki, further solidifying its reputation for innovative and impactful architectural design.

In a compelling effort to safeguard and spotlight a vital aspect of cultural heritage, GUNIA Project and Assouline have collaborated to release a seminal publication. This ambitious project aims to gather and present the rich and often fragmented history of Ukrainian naïve art, offering a profound insight into its unique visual language and its broader cultural significance. The book, a culmination of years of dedicated research, is not merely a collection of artworks but a vibrant testament to resilience and the enduring power of artistic expression rooted in everyday life and tradition.

Celebration of Ukrainian Naïve Art: A New Publication's Journey to Global Recognition

On September 17, 2026, the cultural world witnessed a significant event at Maison Assouline on Piccadilly in London: the grand unveiling of “Naïve My Love: Ukrainian Folk Art of the 20th Century.” This comprehensive 304-page volume, a joint venture between GUNIA Project and Assouline, represents an unprecedented consolidation of Ukrainian naïve art from the twentieth century. Spearheaded by GUNIA Project founders Maria Gavryliuk and Natalia Kamenska, and meticulously edited by Kyiv-based curator and publisher Lidia Lykhach, with narrative contributions from Ukrainian journalist Anna Lodygina, the book delves into an artistic movement forged beyond traditional academic confines, intricately linking it to Ukrainian folk customs and the revolutionary European avant-garde.

The genesis of this publication traces back many years, predating the current Assouline edition. Since its establishment in 2017, GUNIA Project has been immersed in exploring and documenting Ukrainian cultural inheritance through diverse collections and archives. For “Naïve My Love,” this investigative journey evolved into an endeavor to reconstruct a scattered historical narrative, uniting artworks diligently preserved across the nation by museums, private collectors, families, and cultural bodies. Notable pieces featured include Maria Prymachenko’s 1978 “Our Army, Our Guardians,” Sofia Homeniuk’s 1971 “Separation,” Vasyl Dovhoshyia’s 1920s “Hare,” Dmytro Perepelytsia’s 1930s “Still Life with Watermelon,” and Panas Yarmolenko’s 1920s “Portrait of Uliana, the Artist’s Wife.” The collection also pays tribute to works with histories beyond institutional walls, such as “Family on the Road” and “Cossack Mamai” by unknown artists, and Hanna Hotvianska’s “Bleaching Canvas,” showcasing enduring textile traditions. Poignantly, Polina Raiko’s vibrant paintings of her home in Oleshky, Kherson Oblast, created between 1998 and 2004, serve as a fragile reminder of cultural loss, as her house was tragically destroyed in a recent conflict.

The meticulous assembly of this research into an internationally recognized publication necessitated a broad network of collaboration, with the partnership with Assouline spanning over three years of intensive work. GOGOLA media agency played a pivotal role in bridging this ambitious cultural concept with an international publishing platform. This collective endeavor, drawing on the expertise of researchers, museums, and countless individuals, has culminated in a rigorous portrayal of Ukrainian naïve art.

The Enduring Significance of Art in Challenging Times

This project extends far beyond the mere act of publishing a book; it is an urgent declaration of cultural sovereignty. In a period where institutions and physical repositories of cultural memory face peril, documenting and preserving this artistic legacy becomes paramount. The founders passionately articulate that culture is not a secondary concern but a fundamental element for which Ukraine is currently contending. In the face of threats and destruction to museums, archives, monuments, and cultural memory, research and documentation transform into acts of preservation and assertions of cultural identity.

Moreover, Gavryliuk and Kamenska advocate for sustained investment in Ukrainian culture, envisioning the establishment of robust long-term frameworks for research, education, and creative dialogue. They underscore the importance of ensuring that Ukrainian culture's international visibility transcends its association with ongoing conflicts. By fostering opportunities not only to preserve but also to study, reinterpret, and engage with global cultural conversations on an equal footing, “Naïve My Love” serves both as a historical record and a vibrant starting point for future exploration. It aims to empower a new generation of Ukrainian creatives by offering a profound understanding of their extraordinary visual heritage, not as an unchangeable relic but as dynamic material for questioning, transformation, and progression.

Internationally, the book endeavors to redefine the perception of Ukrainian culture, asserting that its naïve art possesses its own distinct history, celebrated creators, and unique visual language, meriting its rightful place within the global artistic canon, rather than being confined to Russian or Soviet frameworks or dismissed as mere regional folklore.