Museo Taller. I went to an exhibition and was impressed that the owner, Francisco Dittborn, lends the space for people to work there for free. You see what they are doing, working with wood. Then you see other people weaving, making another type of craft. It’s like an open workshop, where you learn by doing, in contact with creativity. It’s the most beautiful thing there is. It’s a very old house that he [Dittborn] adapted. I went to see a work by an artist and I was moved. (Compañía de Jesús 2784, Santiago).
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MUT (Mercado Urbano Tobalaba). It’s the most fun there is. I went and got lost, I didn’t know where to go [laughs]. But it’s a place where there are restaurants, people selling art and others selling clothes… And it’s a place with an incredible flow of people. It represents an active contemporary city. It combines modern architecture with a varied gastronomic offer and different ventures, in a space full of movement and life. (Av. Apoquindo 2730, Las Condes).
Galpón Independencia. It used to be a factory. I don’t know if the owner or the person who manages it rents out some huge warehouses. Here you can directly observe how artists work with materials and develop their works. For example, Marcela Correa, who makes monumental art, it’s in that place where she can work with materials like steel, iron, marble, onyx. And in that room there are several artists. It’s the most entertaining, because you go and see the artists working. And you see the artworks, because there are already finished works displayed, and you coexist with that. There’s nothing people like more than being in direct contact with artistic making. (Padre Las Casas 2469, Independencia).
Iglesia de la Veracruz. That’s where my husband was baptized. So I have a very emotional bond with that church. Besides, it was right across from the [Arte Actual gallery in the plaza] Mulato Gil de Castro, where I started [working]. That temple, in the middle of the Lastarria neighborhood, mixes history, architecture, and what the city has recently experienced. Also, they caught everything that was burned [the temple was intentionally set on fire in November 2019, during the social unrest] and restored it. The work they did is impressive, leaving the burned parts. It’s wonderful. (José Victorino Lastarria 124, Santiago)
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art. The museum is almost a donation. The pre-Columbian artworks there are wonderful and how they are displayed, how beautifully they maintain it. Even Peruvians when they come to Santiago go to see the museum, because it’s a place you have to know. Also, it offers high-quality exhibitions and a program of activities that allow a clear and interesting approach to pre-Columbian cultures. (Bandera 361, Santiago)
Park of Sculptures. It’s a unique place to see sculptures. It integrates art into public space. It’s an ideal place to stroll without hurry. You walk around looking at a sculpture, outdoors. The works coexist with the landscape and natural surroundings. I go frequently because sometimes they hold small exhibitions in the enclosed part. (Santa María 2205, Providencia).
Viña Concha y Toro. The park that this vineyard has and the works they have done are worth seeing. They have many things of great historical value. Besides the wine experience. I always passed by outside, but I went to a wedding and when I got to know it I found it beautiful. It’s a place that has history. The problem is that in Chile it’s hard for them to let… to preserve part of our history. It’s very sad. I suffered a lot when they tore down the house where [Roberto] Matta had lived. (Avenida Virginia Subercaseaux 210, Pirque).
Barrio Italia. When Smiljan Radić was awarded the Pritzker Prize, he held a cocktail with friends in Barrio Italia. I arrived early and started walking, strolling and saw that it’s full of little shops, coffee places, there are designers, furniture stores, clothing stores, hat shops, everything. At night it’s full, full of people. It must be taken care of, because it’s a neighborhood that has been recovering and it has been difficult. It has a calmer and closer rhythm, ideal to explore and discover.
San Cristóbal Hill. The hill is beautiful to see, but how fun it is to see all of Santiago from the cable car. What you see from above is incredible, because you start recognizing places, you see Santiago in a different way. It helps to understand the city as a whole. Also, the hill has a botanical garden and play areas, which makes it a complete outing.
Patricia Ready Gallery. It’s a space dedicated to contemporary art that has been around for 18 years. There are free concerts for the community, there is free art cinema, with only films that make you think. I help the artists because I give them scholarships and also finance projects. I made a café here for the artists, but it became so famous that you have to reserve a table [laughs]. (Espoz 3125, Vitacura).
