Buenos Aires Herald 
This weekend, Buenos Aires comes alive with new art exhibitions, La noche de los bares notables, a dynamic outdoor design festival, and the Asterisco LGBTIQ+ Film Festival.
Two exhibit openings at Herlitzka & Co.
Wednesday 15 through end of the year
Opening inauguration event — 7 p.m. Wednesday
Gallery open Monday through Friday — 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Herlitzka & Co. (Libertad 1630, Retiro)
Free entry
This weekend, Herlitzka & Co. opens two striking exhibitions. Ojo de Agua marks the first solo show in the gallery of Argentine painter Hernán Salamanco, whose work blends figuration and abstraction on repurposed metal sheets using enamel and oil. His luminous surfaces reflect the surroundings, inviting viewers to become part of the experience while exploring memory, dreams, and emotional connections. Highlights include Laguna mental and La brava, large-scale pieces that showcase Salamanco’s signature fusion of texture, color, and personal storytelling.
In Room E, Peruvian artist Mariano León presents Plumarios, a series of assemblages crafted from used mining gloves that evoke pre-Hispanic ceremonial mantles and banners. León’s work connects ancestral Andean traditions with contemporary labor realities, prompting reflection on social and environmental issues. There will be an inauguration event open to the public at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 15.
Thursday 16 — 5 p.m. to midnight
Various locations around Buenos Aires
Free entry
The fourth edition of the “Night of the Notable Bars” is here, celebrating Buenos Aires’ typical cafés across the city. More than 120 venues across 24 neighborhoods will partake, a full list of participating bars is available online.
There will be tango performances, roaming shows, guided tours, photography and visual arts exhibitions, workshops, café options, and special interventions by renowned chefs in the kitchens of some bars offering special menus for the occasion. Now’s your chance to visit the classics such as Florida Garden, La Giralda, 8 Esquinas, Café Margot, El Federal, La Poesía, Café Cortázar, El Hipopótamo, Celta, Los Galgos, El Roma del Abasto, Almacén, and Bar Lavalle. There will also be roaming tours in vintage cars and jazz performances. The Association of Hotels, Restaurants, Confectioneries, and Cafés (AHRCC) joins the celebration with a city circuit in a classic car, evoking 1920s Buenos Aires.
Design Night: an open-air design festival
Thursday 16 — 6 to 9 p.m.
Distrito Arenales (Arenales and Juncal Streets, between Montevideo and Cerrito and nearby cross streets)
Free entry
Distrito Arenales will once again transform into Buenos Aires’ most dynamic open-air design festival. More than 80 stores and galleries across Arenales and Juncal (between Montevideo and Cerrito) will open their doors for live performances, art installations, music, and immersive experiences.
This year’s edition celebrates 10 years of Distrito Arenales under the theme “La celebración.” Expect collaborations between top local artists and designers like Marcos López, Nicola Costantino, Renata Schussheim, and Benito Fernández, plus emerging talent from Milan and Paris design fairs. From sculptural mermaids and floral façades to live painting, DJ sets, and a champagne tower, the festival blurs the line between art, design, and city life.
12th Asterisco International LGBTIQ+ Film Festival
Thursday 16 through October 25
Various venues around the city
Tickets ARS$9,000 general entry and can be purchased online
The 12th Asterisco International LGBTIQ+ Film Festival returns celebrating queer cinema with screenings at MALBA, Museo del Cine, PROA, and Hasta Trilce. This year’s lineup features Argentine and international premieres, restored film projections, live-music performances, and the presentation of Pablo Pérez’s El mendigo chupapijas.
Highlights include sections like La piel que habito, Pionerxs queer, and a Narcisa Hirsch retrospective exploring film and public space. Featuring titles from Argentina, Spain, Uruguay, Brazil, and beyond, Asterisco reaffirms its role as one of Buenos Aires’ most vibrant, daring, and community-driven celebrations of LGBTIQ+ storytelling. A full program of events is available online.
