The 12 cultural and arts events in Argentina 2023

From Pablo Picasso, Jorge Luis Borges, Marta Minujin and The Beatles to the National Museum of Fine Arts and what type of culture is consumed in Argentina, everything fits in this review of the best of 2023

2023 has been much more than a simple step on the calendar, it has been full of vibrant colors, a stage where creativity has been deployed in multiple forms. The most prestigious museums and the streets were filled with artistic expressions that challenged and excited. The impact of more than 50 exhibitions that commemorated Pablo Picasso and the theft of 2,000 objects from the British Museum that triggered an institutional crisis, to the detailed analysis of cultural consumption in Argentina.

Music has been a constant echo, with new forms of access through digital platforms and the emergence of genres that have resonated with different audiences. Furthermore, cinematography has captivated with Oppenheimer's visual epic and in global literature Jon Fosse was surprised by the Nobel Prize. Art, in its many forms, embraced diversity and dialogue between cultures at Bienalsur, bringing works by more than 400 artists to 70 cities around the world. Meanwhile, in Buenos Aires, the rebirth of the emblematic Clásica y Moderna bookstore represented a return to the cultural essence of Buenos Aires.

The centenary of Borges' Fervor de Buenos Aires, the inclusion of Mario Vargas Llosa in the French Academy, and the record attendance of the National Museum of Fine Arts of Argentina with more than 775,000 visitors, marked milestones in culture this year. These are the 12 most impressive cultural events of 2023.

1) The “new” Beatles song
The release of “Now and Then”, a material with roots in a John Lennon demo from the late seventies and the subsequent contribution of George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, promised to be the culmination of a long-awaited collaboration. The poetic beauty of this piece is undeniable, especially considering its creation story and the technological effort to rescue it.

However, it is a song that now sees the light, enriched by the post-mortem contributions of the surviving Beatles, but fails to reach the excellence of their classics. “Now and Then” is a reminder of the greatness of The Beatles, but also raises the difficulty of matching or surpassing the magnificence of their classics, inviting listeners to return to the timeless magic of the band's studio albums, where Musical perfection is indisputable and eternal.

Numerous museums around the world paid tribute to the great Spanish artist (Ralph Gatti)

2) 50 Years without Pablo Picasso
Several institutions in Europe and the United States present more than 50 exhibitions to celebrate the life and work of Pablo Picasso. The Musée Picasso in Paris inaugurated an exhibition curated by British designer Paul Smith; The one in Malaga commemorated both the artist and his 20th anniversary with “Picasso: Matter and Body”, an exhibition that later traveled to the Guggenheim Bilbao. Other museums will present smaller shows focusing on less explored facets of Picasso's career: his ceramic work at the French Musée Magnelli, Musée de la céramique-Vallauris and at the Museu del Disseny in Barcelona.

Picasso's importance lies in his ability to challenge established artistic conventions and his insatiable curiosity to explore new forms of expression. Throughout his life, he revolutionized the way art was understood and practiced, being a central figure in the development of Cubism and leaving a creative legacy that continues to inspire later generations of artists.

The stolen pieces are small objects that were not on display, such as jewelry, semi-precious stones and glassware (Europa Press/Contact/Vuk Valcic)

3) The British Museum had a year to forget

4) Cultural consumption in Argentina

5) Marta Minujin turned 80 years old

6) The “Oppenheimer” phenomenon

7) Jon Fosse, Nobel Prize winner in Literature

8) Bienalsur toured the world

9) Borges was news x 3

10) Mario Vargas Llosa at the French Academy

11) Historical Record of visits to the National Museum of Fine Arts

12) Reopening of Classic and Modern