The exhibit will feature more than 40 architectural spaces that will make up the 7500 square meters of a renovated old building.

Casa FOA was born in 1985 as an initiative of Mercedes Malbrán de Campos and a group of ladies with the purpose of raising funds for the Argentine Ophthalmology Foundation "Jorge Malbrán" (FOA). With a growing success, Casa FOA has become one the most important events in the country´s cultural agenda.

The strategic selection of the venues and the careful and profound restoration of the chosen buildings give every edition of Casa FOA an indisputable value for the community, making it possible to associate its name not only to Argentine design but also to the preservation of buildings of great historic and cultural value, like: Casa de la Moneda (1995), Hotel de Inmigrantes (2000), Monasterio de Santa Catalina (2001), Casa del Patio de la Reconquista (2003), Hotel Avenida de Mayo (1991), Puerto Madero Dock 5 (1993), Palacio Alcorta (1994), Tattersal de Palermo (1998) Apostadero Naval (2000), Terrazas de Buenos Aires (2002), Tribuna II Palermo (2004), Puerto de Frutos de Tigre (2008), among others.

Dates: September 7 to October 14, 2012.

Opening hours: 12 noon to 8 PM

Location: Av. Regimiento de Patricios 1052, La Boca, Buenos Aires

Entry fee:

General: AR$ 60

Tuesdays: AR$ 30

Disabled and children under 12: Free

Casa FOA official website.

The great Roger Federer, one of the world's best tennis players of all times, and the Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, currently world No 8, will offer two exhibition matches in Argentina, on Wednesday, December 12th and Thursday, December 13th, 2012, in the suburb of Tigre, province of Buenos Aires.

The matches will be played in a hardcourt surface stadium specially built for the occasion, next to the Puerto de Frutos de Tigre, with capacity for 20,000 spectators .

The organizers have announced a second date after tickets for the first date were sold out in a few hours. Tickets for the match on December 13th will go on sale through www.tuentrada.com on Sunday, August 26th, at 10am.

For people who want to secure their places in advance, there are tour companies offering a full package that includes transfers, tickets, permanent coordinator, and snacks. Contact me to receive information about this service.

Argentina will be hosting the Czech Republic for the Semifinals of the Davis Cup on clay at the Estadio Parque Roca in Buenos Aires on September 14th, 15th and 16th, 2012.  Argentina and Czech Republic have met on four previous occasions, with the Czechs leading 3-1. However, this will be Czech Republic’s first visit to Parque Roca, the venue that has become a fortress for the Argentine team, who are yet to be beaten there. 

Argentina are bidding to reach the Final for the second straight year. In fact, the Argentines have the unwanted record of reaching the most Finals - four - without winning the title.

The dates and times of the matches are:
Friday 14th, 10:45 am;
Saturday 15th, 12:30 pm
Sunday 16tht, 10:45 am.

Location: Estadio Parque Roca. Av. Roca y Escalada, Buenos Aires.
Tickets are on sale at Ticketek Argentina website.
More information: Davis Cup official website.

For people who want to secure their places in advance, there are tour companies offering a full package that includes transfers, tickets for the three days (abono), permanent coordinator, and snacks. Contact me to receive information about this service.

The fixture of football (soccer) matches in Buenos Aires for the second half of the year 2012 has been announced. It comprises the matches in the National Tournament "Torneo Inicial 2012" the international tournament "Copa Sudamericana" (South American Cup), and the Qualifying matches for Brazil Wold Cup 2014 .

The "Superclasico" River vs Boca, defined as one of the most fascinating sports experiences worldwide, will take place on October 28th at River Plate Stadium.

Don't miss the opportunity of attending one of these exciting games the easiest and safest way, with a service that includes tickets, transfers, and bilingual host, provided by one of the leading companies in football tours. Contact me and make your reservation!

AUGUST 2012

Schedule subject to change of dates and addition of matches, please check regularly on this post for updates

The XVII Encuentros Abiertos - Festival de la Luz (Festival of Light), will be held from August 1st to September 30th, 2012 in Museums, Cultural Centers, Galleries and Art Venues in 30 cities in Argentina, in the provinces of Buenos Aires, Neuquén, Salta, San Juan, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Córdoba, Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones, Río Negro, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Tierra del Fuego and Tucumán. 

Festival de la Luz is the most important photography biennial exhibition in Latin America., consisting of several photographic activities, all of them free of charge, except the Portfolios Forum. The activities will be divided into different groups:

Exhibitions: Photographic exhibitions at museums and cultural centers around the country, under the 2012 theme "The Passion".  

Lectures: conferences, workshops and round tables specialized on Art Photography and their contemporary topics. 

Portfolio´s Forum: a meeting place between photographers and curators, that can help artists with their work. National and international curators, collectors, editors, directors of spaces of art and festivals, which can exhibit, publish or acquire their works. 

Actions: calls, contests, video art, presentation and signing of books and performances. 

Workshops: dictated for national and international experts.

Urban Interventions: exhibitions, projections and other actions in open spaces, that interfere in the everyday life of the people. 

Projections and Video Art 

The Festival of Light is an international collaboration of 27 photography festivals around the world. This cooperation has a common website: www.festivaloflight.net, and a continuous exchange of exhibitions, activities and participants. The Festival of Light - FOL is integrated by the cities of: Aleppo, Atlanta, Ballarat, Bamako, Braga, Brasilia, Bratislava, Buenos Aires, Derby, Cracovia, Houston, Kaunas, Lodz, Luxembourg,  Mexico, Montreal, Moscow, Odense, Paris, Portland, Porto Alegre, Tampere, Tenerife, Thessaloniki, Toronto. 

For more information on schedules and venues, visit Festival de la Luz official website

Called "Meraviglie dalle Marche", or Marvels from the Marche, this exhibition displays a valuable collection of paintings from an Italian region rich in natural beauty and artistic heritage, culturally important for the quality and number of artists who have contributed much to the pictorial art in Italy and the world. It includes works such as a lesser-known version of Raphael's "Saint Catherine of Alexandria," (the most famous one is in the National Gallery in Washington), Titian's "Resurrection", and Guido Reni's "Annunciation" and "Saint Sebastian", and works by other painters equally remarkable as Guercino, Luca Giordano, Maratta, among others.

The paintings, spanning more than 400 years of Italian religious art, are on loan from public and Church-owned museums in Urbino, Ancona, Ascoli Piceno, Fabriano, Loreto, Jesi and six other cities and towns in the Marche region. The exhibition is a significant tour of the Italian religious iconography ranging from the late Gothic tables - in the late XIV - XV century, by painters Olivuccio Ciccarello and Paolo Veneziano, to the monumental neoclassicism of Adolfo de Carolis from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.The exhibited works come from:

Location: 

The Argentine Polo Association has announced the complete Schedule of tournaments in the Official 2012 Spring Polo Season. The program, between August and December of 2012, includes three of the most important Polo tournaments worldwide: Tortugas Country Club Open; Hurlingham Club Open, the oldest Polo tournament in the world; and the world-class Argentine Open Championship. The most important championships in the 2012 Spring season are:


SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER

SAN JORGE MILITARY CLUB OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

Duque of Edimbourgh (A) and Coronel Francisco Reyes Carrere (H) Cups

Organized by: San Jorge Club, in Hurlingham (province of Buenos Aires).

Up to 24 goals; 1 militar player per team, and no more than 1 high handicap player (8 to 10 goals) per team.

September 4, 5, 6, - San Jorge Club, Hurlingham

September 10 - Finals in Palermo: 2pm and 4pm - FREE ENTRANCE

SPRINGBOK TOURNAMENT

Organized by Argentine Polo Association

Between one civil team and one military team

September 25, 12 pm - Palermo Polo Field (Av. Libertador & Dorrego) - Free entrance

TORTUGAS COUNTRY CLUB OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Emilio de Anchorena Cup
Organized by Tortugas Country Club. Tortuguitas (Province of Buenos Aires)
September 25 to October 17

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

The Ayrshire Cup

Organized by Hurlingham Club. Hurlingham (Province of Buenos Aires)

October 27 to November 10

JUAN B MILES CUP (A)

Organized by AAP

23 and 24 goal teams

From October 26

MUNICIPALIDAD DE PILAR TOURNAMENT

Organized by AAP

24 goal teams and over

From October 15

NOVEMBER /DECEMBER

119th ARGENTINE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

Organized by AAP. Palermo

November 17 to December 8
Palermo Polo Field

CAMARA DE DIPUTADOS (A) AND TROFEO COMANDO DE REMONTA Y VETERINARIA (A) CUPS

Organized by AAP. 

24 goal teams and over.

Semifinals:
December 4, 5:00 pm
December 5, 5:00 pm
Final:
Sunday, December 9, 5:00 pm

Palermo Polo Field - Free entrance

PROVINCE OF BUENOS AIRES (H) AND JOSE C. REYNAL (H) CUPS

Organized by AAP.

19 to 23 goal teams

Semifinals in Pilar, Final in Palermo.

From November 19

GUILLERMO SOJO (A) and (H) CUP

Organized by AAP. Finals in Palermo

13 to 18 goal teams.

From November 14

ESTÍMULO (A) and CACIQUE (H) CUPS

Organized by AAP. Finals in Palermo

4 to 12 goal teams.

From November 10

ANNUAL PONNIES EXHIBITION

Tortugas Country Club.

Not suspended for rain

November 12

Schedule subject to modifications. Please check periodically on this post for updates.

Don´t miss the opportunity of attending one of these world class events. Contact me if you want to  arrange for  private transportation. 

After the success of its shows Saltimbanco, Alegria, and Quidam, Cirque du Soleil, the world famous Canadian circus company, will be back in Buenos Aires presenting its spectacular show "Varekai", starting September 8th through October 21st, 2012.

Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in more than 300 cities in over forty countries on six continents. The mission of Cirque du Soleil is to invoke the imagination, provoke the senses and evoke the emotions of people around the world.

About Varekai: Varekai first premiered in Montréal in 2002. Since then the show has visited more than 68 cities in more than 18 different countries around the world. Over 8 million people around the world have seen Varekai.

The word Varekai (pronounced ver·ay·’kie) means “wherever” in the Romany language of the gypsies—the universal wanderers. Written and directed by Dominic Champagne, this production pays tribute to the nomadic soul, to the spirit and art of the circus tradition, and to those who quest with infinite passion along the path that leads to Varekai.
Varekai emerges from an explosive fusion of drama and acrobatics. The impossible becomes possible in stunning displays of skill and power set against innovative music and otherworldly sets, interwoven with vivid choreography that speaks to all in the universal language of movement. The pendulum of time sweeps backward, paying tribute to the ancient and rare circus traditions of Icarian games, water meteors and Georgian dance. Varekai then catapults to the future with revolutionary twists on such acts as Russian swings, slippery surface and triple trapeze. 

Location: Complejo al Rio, Laprida y Bartolome Cruz, Vicente Lopez.

Tickets on sale from June 25th through: www.ticketek.com.ar

Contact me if you need help getting tickets for this event.

Three important ballet performances featuring more than 25 outstanding dancers from the best companies in the world will be presented in the months of May, August and November, 2012, at Teatro Coliseo de Buenos Aires:

May 17, 19

3E Étage Opera National de Paris

This "ensamble" gets together eleven first figures from the Opera National de Paris' Ballet, presenting for the first time in Argentina "Nouvelles Virtuosités", a show that combines humor and virtuosity. A unique opportunity to see on the same stage the talented Argentinian dancer Ludmila Pagliero –named "Danseuse Étoile" at the Opera National de París last March- and "Danseur Étoile" Josua Hoffalt, performing choreographs by Raul Zeummes, William Forsythe and Samuel Murez.

August 23, 24, 25
2nd Buenos Aires International Ballet Gala
This Second International Ballet Gala will feature some of the best dancers of classical, neoclassical and contemporary ballet from the most prominent and prestigious companies in the world:  Marianela Nuñez and Thiago Soares from the Royal Opera House; Polina Semionova, Iana Salenko and Dmitrij Semnionov from Staattsballett Berlin; Silvina Perillo and Juan Pablo Ledo from Teatro Colón; David Hallberg from the Bolshoi Theater; Maria Korowsky, from NYCB; Angel Corella and Daniil Simkin from American Ballet Theatre (ABT), Maria Shirinkina and Vladimir Shklyarov from Mariisnky Theater; Katheryna Shalkina and Oscar Chacon from Béjart Ballet Lausanne, among others

November 9, 10
Kings of the Dance Opus 3
After the great success in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and recently premiered in New York, the show "Kings of the Dance" will be presented for the first time in Argentina.
With the participation of Guillaume Côté (Canada), Marcelo Gomes (Brazil), Denis Matvienko (Ukraine), Leonid Sarafanov (Ukraine), Ivan Vasiliev (Russia), the program in three acts will include choreographs by Mauro Bigonzetti, Nacho Duato, Marco Goecke, Eduard Clug, Jorma Elo and Marcelo Gomes.

All performances will be held at Teatro Coliseo de Buenos Aires, Marcelo T. de Alvear 1125

Tickets for the individual dates or for three performances combined are on sale through www.ticketek.com.ar

The Rugby Championship will be disputed for the first time in 2012. This tournament will replace the existing Tri Nations tournament, with Argentina joining the three rugby powers of the South Hemisphere (New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa).

The Rugby Championship will commence on 18 August, 2012 at ANZ Stadium. Each team will play a home and and away fixture against each opponent.

The Argentine team, Los Pumas, will dispute three test matches as locals during the tournament, against South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, in the cities of Mendoza, La Plata and Rosario.

The debut of Los Pumas in our country will be on Saturday, August 25th, against South Africa's Springboks, at the stadium Malvinas Argentina, in the province of Mendoza.

The second match will be against the All Blacks, the current World Champions, at the Estadio Ciudad de La Plata, on Saturday, September 29th. 

Finally, on Saturday, October 6th, at the stadium of Rosario Central club, in the city of Rosario, Los Pumas will play against Australia's Wallabies, in the final match of the first Rugby Championship.

Tickets for all Argentina's local matches are on sale through this website.

There are also tours available that include transfers from/to hotel in the local city, bilingual guide and ticket for the game. Contact me to inquire about this service.

For the first time in history an exhibition of original personal objects of Pope John Paul II arrives in Argentina, showcasing items pertaining to the Collection of Archdiocesan museum of Krakow and the Vatican. 

The exhibit, that opens on June 29th, 2012 and closes on August 5th, at the Centro Municipal de Exposiciones, commemorates the 25th anniversary of the last visit of Pope John Paul II to our country. A journey through the life of John Paul II through more than 140 personal objects ranging from early childhood through his Papacy, through the most important moments in the life of the pope who changed history.

All objects in the exhibition were donated in life by John Paul II to the Vatican and the Archdiocese of Krakow, and was his only request that they toured the world as he did in his more than 104 international travels. 

The exhibition was curated by priest Andrzej Nowobilski (Director of the Archdiocesan museum - Cardinal Karol Wojtyla - of Krakow). The objects, displayed in chronological order, recount the story of Karol Wojtyla, the most beloved Pope in history, through photographs, films, testimonies and carefully selected items that represent the most significant moments of his life, including his childhood in Poland and his 27-year pontificate. 

Location: Centro Municipal de Exposiciones, Av. Figueroa Alcorta and Pueyrredon (next to the Law School)

Opening hours: every day, 10am to 10pm

Admittance fees: 

General: AR$ 50

Seniors (over 65): AR$ 25

Family group: 2 minors 30% off

Group of 10: 2 free

Due to the bad weather conditions, the open air concert  that the great conductor Zubin Mehta was going to offer at Plaza San Martin, will now take place at Usina del Arte, Av. Pedro de Mendoza 501 (La Boca) on the same day and time, Friday, August 17th, 2012, at 1:00 pm.

Entrance to the concert if free, but free tickets must be picked up in advance at Casa de la Cultura, Av. de Mayo 575, on Thursday 16th, from 11am (subject to the concert hall´s capacity).

The Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale is one of the most famous in Italy. The Orchestra was founded in 1928 by Vittorio Gui, under the name “Stabile Orchestrale Fiorentina”. In 1933, the Orchestra created what would become one of the oldest and most prestigious music festivals in Europe, after the Salzburg and the Bayreuth Festival: the “Festival del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino”. It is from this Festival that the Orchestra took its name.

Zubin Mehta has been its Principal Conductor since 1985, and, season after season, leads important symphonic productions and highly-prestigious tours. In 2011 Zubin Mehta toured with the Orchestra of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in more than 12 different countries (France, Luxemburg, Spain, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, China, India, Hungary, Russia, Austria, Switzerland), to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Italian Unification. In 2011 he received three important awards (the star on the Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, the Furtwängler and the Echo Prize). In 2012 he celebrates the 50th anniversary of his debut in Florence with several events planned during the 75th Festival and with an extraordinary tour in South america in August 2012.

Program:

Beethoven - Egmont, ouverture op. 84 - (9') 

Puccini - Manon Lescaut - Intermezzo (5') 

Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana - Intermezzo (4'30") 

Dvorak - Danza slava op.46 n.8 - (4') 

Brahms - Danza Ungherese n.5 (orchestrazione Parlow) (3') 

Mahler - Sinfonia n. 5 - Adagietto (8'30") 

Bizet - Suite da Carmen (Ouverture, Entr'actes atto II, atto III, atto IV) (ca. 15')

The 2012 Tango Buenos Aires Festival and World Dance Competition, organized by the Ministry of Culture of Buenos Aires, will be held between August 14th and August 28th, 2012.

This new edition features more than 200 shows and free activities including concerts and dance performances, popular milongas, shows, conferences and clinics, exhibition and sale of products, dance classes in various levels and styles, and a competition in which the best couples of dancers from Argentina and the world will be participating.

Throughout the World Tango Festival classes of different levels and styles will be given by renowned dancers  and instructors from recognized schools. A tribute to Astor Piazolla, in the 20th anniversary of his death. The grand opening and closing milonga and the competition for the Tango Dance World Cup.

TANGO WORLD DANCE COMPETITION:

This is the celebration that makes Buenos Aires the mecca for tango dancers around the world. The event rewards the best couples in the Tango Salon category, which stresses the social dance as a practice rooted in Buenos Aires, and Stage Tango, which aims to enrich the dance from a choreographic point of view. More than 500 couples from around the world measure their talents in this competition.

The qualifying rounds will take place at the Centro Municipal de Exposiciones. The World Cup culminates in two major finals, Tango Salon and Tango Escenario, at the Luna Park stadium, on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28.

VENUES OF TANGO BUENOS AIRES:
Centro Municipal de Exposiciones:  Av. Figueroa Alcorta and Av. Pueyrredón

Usina del Arte: Av. Pedro de Mendoza 501, La Boca
Teatro Regio: Av. Cordoba 6056, Chacarita
Amphitheater of Parque Centenario: Av. Angel Gallardo and Leopoldo Marechal, Caballito

Luna Park stadium: Av. Madero 420

FREE TICKETS FOR SHOWS AND ACTIVITIES:

Admission to all the activities and shows of the Tango Buenos Aires Festival and World Cup is free, on a first-come, first-served basis until the venue reaches capacity.
The only shows that require ticket pick-up are those scheduled at Teatro Colón, Usina del Arte, and the  Final Rounds of the Dance World Cup. 2 tickets per person will be given for each performance.
Tickets for the concert at Teatro Colón will only be available for pick-up on Saturday, August 18th, from 11am at the Centro Municiapal de Exposiciones.
Tickets for the Final Rounds will be available for pick-up on Monday, August 20th, from 11am, at  the Centro Municiapal de Exposiciones. 2 (two) tickets for one of the Final Rounds will be given out per person until reaching the capacity of 10,000 seats.
For the shows at the main room of Usina del Arte, tickets can be picked up at the Information Stand on the same day of the show. Tickets for the 3pm and 4:30pm performances will be available at 2pm, and for the 6pm and 7:30pm performances, at 5pm.

The most important event for the Argentine fashion industry, BAFWeek, brings together the most established brands in the fashion world and independent designers for the launching of their new collections. Two grand manifestations, street art and fashion join together to create the concept of the campaign of the BAFWeek Spring/Summer 2012-13 edition.

BAFWeek features several daily fashion shows. For this edition top brands and designers as Chocolate, Santana Textiles, Cheeky, Schang Viton, Desiderata, Juana de Arco, Evangelina Bomparola, Wanama, Las Pepas, Levi´s Set, Visentini, Quier, Emilse Benitez, Uma, Vero Ivaldi, Seco, Amores Trash Couture, Lumina - Lucia Vidal, Mapa de Diseño, Benedit Bis, Muaa by Mariano Toledo, Troyer, Vitamina, Fabián Zitta, Garza Lobos, Como quieres que te quiera, Mariana Dappiano, Ona Saez, among others, have confirmed their presence.

At the Showrooms around 30 designers will showcase their creations in an exclusive space, including accessories, shoes, bags, jewels, underwear, and men's and women's clothes.

As always, BAFWeek supports University of Buenos Aires students through the Seed Plot contest, so they can show their first collections, together with the famous designers. 

Dates: August 7, 8, 9 and 10, 2012 

Location: La Rural Exhibition Center. Av. Sarmiento 2704 

Opening times: from 1 pm to 10 pm 

Tickets on sale at the venue. AR$ 35. 

Having a ticket does not guarantee the access to the runway rooms, as this is subject to capacity.

For more information: BAFWeek official website.