Museum to house Latin art

Artist Frida Kahlo's work will be exhibited at the museum

One of the world's great collections of Latin American art is set to go on permanent display in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires.

Businessman Eduardo Constantini, 54, has built a museum in the city's Palermo district to house his personal collection of 20th Century art from the continent.

We hope it helps Latin American art recover the position it had in the past

Eduardo Constantini

The Museum of Latin American Art or 'Malba' will feature more than 220 works valued at some $40m (£27m), from artists ranging from Mexico's Frida Kahlo to Colombia's Fernando Botero.

It will be run by a private foundation, and will open on 20 September.

Mr Constantini's collection has long been in demand from major galleries such as New York's Museum of Modern Art and the Georges Pompidou center in Paris.

It was displayed at Madrid's Reina Sofia National Museum during the 2000-2001 season.

'Decision'

"We hope to be a point of reference and hope it helps Latin American art recover the position it had in the past," Mr Constantini said.

"I had always linked the donation of these works to my death, so the decision was not easy," added Mr Constantini, whose collection started with two works of art paid for pieces in instalments when he was 23.

A self-portrait by Kahlo and a portrait by her artist husband, Diego Rivera, are two of the works being hung as finishing touches to the exhibition.

The modern, 7,000sq m building has one large exhibition room for the permanent collection, another for temporary exhibits and a 270-seat auditorium.