Peru has a world-renowned heritage of art and culture and also a growing contemporary art scene, so the credentials for a successful international art fair are firmly in place.

Last week (21 – 24 April) Lima once again welcomed the best of the art world to the city, attracting an impressive caliber of art galleries – some home grown in Peru and many from around the world. This was my first visit to the annual event, and it really was impressive. According to ArtLima Director Rochi Castilla, “it’s like travelling the world and visiting the best museums”, and I felt it really lived up to that description. Now in its fourth year, ArtLima is well-established and considered one of the most important art fairs in the Latin American circuit.

ArtLima is set in the grand and impressive courtyard of the Escuela Superior de Guerra del Ejército, in the Chorillos district of Lima. The contrast between the classic colonial architecture with its imposing columns and traditional checkered tiled floors and the colour and energy of the vivacious modern art is stark and really brings the place to life. But the contrast of old vs new really works – the quality of the art on display deserves nothing less than these illustrious surroundings.

Here are some photos of what stood out for me:

For 2016, ArtLima welcomed six prestigious Peruvian galleries and 35 international galleries – an eclectic mix of paintings, sculptures, photography, film and installation art. It was a great way to see how Peruvian contemporary art stands up to the international art scene – how Peruvian artists fit into and respond to the trends of global art movements and in what ways they’re deviating and pioneering their own trends.

For me this was a great introduction to Peru’s contemporary art scene, and I look forward to visiting some of the galleries individually.