Turrell's Skyspace in Jujuy: the best museum of light in South America
How I found the best light museum in Latin America
I have a very simple method for finding hidden gems when I travel: open the map, filter for five-star hotels in the middle of nowhere, and ask ChatGPT what's actually worth seeing around there.
That's how I found the best contemporary art museum on the continent — James Turrell's museum of light in Jujuy, in northern Argentina. It's an unforgettable experience.
The road to the museum — 3 hours on gravel, a river, a winery
From the nearest village it's a 3-hour drive on a dirt road. When it rains, a river can wash the road out entirely. And then, suddenly, you arrive at a lovely hotel on the oldest winery in the region. I quit drinking long ago, but I can still appreciate a view of vineyards and mountains from a window.
How to get in even if you didn't book in advance
Right next door is the museum itself. Normally you have to book a month ahead, and children aren't allowed — but if you're a devotee of spontaneity, follow my path instead: show up right before closing, when there's no one else around, and convince the Spanish-speaking gentlemen at the desk that you bear a striking resemblance to a party of ten adults, especially the three-month-old baby.
I'm constantly amazed how fast things move in Latin America: the moment I'd booked the hotel and bought ten tickets, a guide with excellent English materialized out of thin air. Duolingo owl, eat your heart out.
What a "Skyspace" is, and why it rewires your perception
The museum itself is astonishing: Turrell builds experiences out of the movement of natural and artificial light within architecture. It's like walking into an optical illusion, or landing inside a Gaspar Noé trip. In reality, you're just sitting on a bench in a white room, staring at a square of blue sky — and you're lucky, because in Jujuy that sky is blue year-round. Turrell calls this a "Skyspace."
The largest Skyspace in the world — right here
Photos and words don't do it justice — you just have to make the trip through all those mountains and rivers and feel it yourself. By the way, the museum in Jujuy is Turrell's only dedicated personal museum, and it houses the largest Skyspace in the world.
90 Skyspaces around the world — including one inside a volcano
There are 90 of these installations worldwide, and one of them sits inside a volcano in Arizona (why not, honestly!). I've pinned them all on my secret map of epic places, and I fully intend to visit every last one.