Palacios de Bellas Artes

The Palacio de Bellas Artes (Fine Arts Museum) and the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo (MAC) are housed together in a regal, Beaux Arts edifice that was inaugurated on the eve of Chile's centennial independence day in 1910 (the museums have separate entrances at the back and front). The two institutions hold Santiago's largest collection of contemporary art and serve as a venue for the country's most important temporary exhibits. The palace has a noteworthy glass cupola that softly lights a vast lobby, and the facade and interior layout were modeled after the Petit Palais of Paris, making the museum worthy of a visit for the lovely architecture alone. MAC opened in 1947 as an extension of the University of Chile art program and has grown its permanent collection to over 2,000 works since. Its goal is to operate as a pluralistic entity that strives to highlight a wide range of art depicting the cultural diversity found in Chilean society. The Fine Arts Museum hosts major shows by well-known international artists such as Damian Hirst.