You’ve just arrived in Chile and you’re looking to get some culture. Most travellers straight fly into Santiago, so this will be most likely be your starting point. It’s an interesting city in its own way, but don’t stay here too long if you’re looking for the crème de la crème of the Chilean art scene, as the real gems of the country lie in nearby Valparaiso instead.
Valparaiso is a colourful, vibrant, art-centred city of artistic dreams, located just over an hour’s drive from the capital. So, after a quick stop off in Santiago it’s time to head straight there.
Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, Santiago
Have a brief sojourn through Santiago before moving on to explore the rest of beautiful Chile, and whilst you’re here make sure that you stop into the wonderful Pre-Columbian art museum. This is a great starting point to get to grips with the basics of Chilean culture and history, as the exhibition ‘Chile Before Chile’ gives you a detailed explanation of how the country came to be and its rich history of sculpture, tapestry and painting dating back to the times of Inca and San Pedro civilizations, among others. From here, venture to the upper floors and see Chilean art transform from the pre-historic to Colonised before your eyes. A truly distinctive and under the radar gallery in the Capital, this one is definitely worth a visit before you move on.
Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino
La Sebastiana, Valparaiso
You’ve made it to the beautiful, street-art filled streets of Valparaiso, Chile’s secret culture capital! You won’t be short of galleries and art exhibitions, large and small, around each and every cobbled corner here. It’s best to start off your gallery crawl with La Sebastiana, the former residence of the poet Pablo Neruda. This is because of the spectacular views of the city that this hilltop museum-gallery offers, giving you the perfect taster of the quintessential colours and sites of Valparaiso right away. The poet had an eccentric taste in both objects and art alike, making for a fascinating walk through his private collection, as you absorb the colours, peek out of his panoramic windows, and admire his mismatched choice of tables, chairs and inspiring paintings in the most beautiful environment around. Art is always best when its environment is a work of art as well.
Mas Arrita, Valparaiso
Most lists of art galleries will tell you to go to the Museum of Fine art as a priority, which of course is wonderful, but it’s not the real Valparaiso art scene in its natural habitat. Art done the Valparaiso way is much more grass-roots and organic. Walk around the winding streets and pass countless independent art galleries, allowing yourself to be drawn into whichever ones attract you most. My favourite off the beaten track gallery of this type is the compact, match-box Mas Arrita, which is reached by taking the local ascendio (or elevator), Ascensor Reina Victoria. This gallery has completely mastered the art of shabby chic, and would be any hipster’s dream come true, with rustic artwork edges and frames meeting polished wooded floors and expert mood-lighting throughout. Find a range of abstract yet softened colourful paintings on a variety of different canvas types and a selection of in-offensive, feminist nudes adorning the walls before taking back to the streets again to see the city’s famous street art all around you. Gaze upon this government-funded graffiti by famous artists and you’ll never think of this rugged art form as an eyesore again.
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