Toby and Allan in Argentina: Palermo Hollywood, another Museo and a Park

We awoke to rain on Saturday March 24, but it cleared by noon and stayed warm and a bit muggy.
We decided to explore Palermo Hollywood (so named because of the many film studios located in this part of town). Palermo Hollywood is the neighbourhood just west of us and is also filled with small stores and restaurants. We stumbled upon a great design store called Nobrand. Nobrand started in 2001 during the pesos crisis. Two out of work graphic designers took 75 local icons, such as Che Guevera, mate, Evita, dulce de leche and Maradona and made modern logos on a number of products, such as Tshirts and mugs. They also make modern mate cups. Very creative.

Outside of Nobrand

Evita and Asado (BBQ)

Che on wall in courtyard

Che and Carlos Gardel drinking mate

We then went next door for lunch at Olsen, a total change from traditional Argentinian food. Olsen is an extremely popular Scandinavian bar-restaurant in a beautiful setting. There is a prix fixe lunch which was great--- Scandinavian with a twist of BA. Totally relaxing to sit outdoors in a fabulous setting.

Entrance to Olsen

Bar at Olsen

Alano

We had already switched some food around when we took these pictures.

Smoked Trout and Pea soup

Chicken, potatoes and salad

View from the stairs

Relaxin' at Olsen

After Olsen, we headed down to the Museo de Artes Plasticas Eduardo Sivori, (Museum of Fine Arts Eduardo Sivori) located in the 400 acre Parque Tres de Febrero, which locals call Los Bosques de Palermo (the Palermo Woods). The museum is named for an Italian-Argentine realist painter Sivori, and houses a major collection of Argentinian paintings and sculpture from the 19th century to the present. Our walk to the park featured the usual combination of very modern venues, crumbling infrastructure and colourful graffiti.

A modern gallery, cafe and bookstore

Crumbling sidewalks across the street from the gallery

Colourful graffiti (the quality of graffiti far exceeds Toronto

Heading into the park we saw lots of roller skaters, bikes and people out drinking mate. There is also a large pond just before one arrives at the museo. Lots of paddle boaters and swans.

Extremely well-used park

Paddle boats in the pond

Outside of museo

Bust of Eduardo Sivori in the garden

Sculpture by Alicia Penalba (1913-1982) entitled Grand Totem 1975 (at entrance)

The museum had an exhibit of some of the artists participating in the 57th Salon de Artes Plasticas Manuel Belgrano, an annual competition sponsored by the City of BA. The Salon started in 1955 and was named in honour of Belgrano, a founder of the first art schools in the city. The winners' pieces in each of five categories are bought for the museum. There are three separate exhibits during the next few months. The current exhibit features etchings, monoprints and the winning works from all disciplines including drawing, painting and sculpture.

Roberto Koch Indiferente (2012) - a winner

Jorge Mansueto -Cimarrones (2012) -another winner

After the exhibit, we crossed over a small bridge to see Le Rosedal (the Rose Garden). The Palermo Parks are well kept and clearly a place of weekend refuge for the Portenos.