By the end of the 20th century, the quarter
had been disdained in favour of more
affluent, seemingly ‘modern’ precincts.
Now I see new signs of life. Retail
space — home to haberdasheries or
prim cafes in the old days — has been
repainted with eye-popping urban art
that presents everything from acid-hued
national heroes and no-holds-barred
political critique to Catholic iconography,
now rehashed via indigenous vindications.
A congress of young hipsters — artists,
rockers, nonconformists and those that love
them — are crowding out legacy drunks at
old-school dives like Queirolo, and ear-
splitting rock ’n’ roll joint Piano Bar Munich.
Adjacent streets explode on weekend nights
with raucous beer halls and hole-in-the-wall
dance clubs that come, thrill, bore, then go.
It’s that sweet moment when people with
an eye begin fixing up wonderful old places,
installing creative venues; and developers
have yet to spoil the party.
The night before, a walk (well, taxi ride)
on the wild side had seen me venture into
the neighbouring city of Callao, an artistic
outpost in the Lima metropolitan area.
A colonial-era sea port, 7.5 miles west of
downtown, the area declined and hardenedin the decades following a 19th-century
industrial boom. Today, the creative work
it nurtures gives rise to a vital, edgy and
passionate scene that artsy travellers
ought to see. It’s made impressive strides
towards rehumanising what for decades
was dismissed as the city’s roughest, most
incorrigible slum, one whose residents were
rendered invisible.
This transformation began in 2015 with
the creation of Monumental Callao, a
community organisation focused on the
visual and performing arts and design
that provides a platform for local, often
marginalised creators. The upshot has been
a renewed sense of purpose and appreciation
for the area’s history, architecture and
residents. At its centre stands the Ronald
Building, now known as Casa Fugaz: a five-
story, 1920s skyscraper that towers over the
surrounding terrain. Restored to industrial-
rococo perfection, its filigree and pomp find
a cool urban complement in funky, ground-
floor boutiques, galleries and restaurants.
Upper floors house artists’ studios — for
neighbourhood creators and a growing
roster of international names in residence
— that often receive the public; their elegant
stone balconies and wide sash windowsFROM LEFT: Streets
of Callao, an artistic
hotspot in the
Lima metropolitan
area; graffiti at
Monumental Callao,
an area of Lima
dotted with street
art, performance
spaces and food stalls
May/Jun 2020 117LIMA