“I believe that it doesn’t matter where you come from—whether you come from the world of collecting or a more academic background; what matters most is that commitment to artists and to the promotion of art in general.” Livia Benavides opened the gallery that bears her name 14 years ago, at a time when Peru already boasted a vast and powerful creative scene. Livia, who had come from the world of collecting before venturing into curation and gallery ownership, was living in Germany at the time.
“When I returned to Lima, I realized there was little representation and no platforms for artists in Peru,” she says.
“Now, I’m not a big collector, but it’s that passion I felt and the way I connect with art. Art speaks to me; it makes me reflect. I think, in that sense, it makes you more aware of what’s happening around you and helps you understand where it comes from and perhaps where it’s headed,” she confesses.
The urge to buy art
His journey began when he bought his first piece with his first paycheck. He was working at a finance company in Houston and purchased the work—a painting—in a café, without even knowing who the artist was; in fact, it was “mostly on a whim,” he recalls. To this day, although he has the piece at home, he is still unsure who the artist is.
Before that, her entire circle of friends was connected to the world of creative production. She had always been closely involved in the arts and had collected artwork from her friends since elementary school.
In fact, the first piece of art he bought came from his own circle of friends. It was more of a symbolic exchange, almost a gift. He considers his first work, in a more formal or recognized sense, to have been acquired through a friend, Esteban Igartua, a Peruvian painter based in England. That was, so to speak, his first recognized work.
The Livia Benavides Gallery Format
“When I opened the gallery in my country, I felt like I was bringing to life a space that contributed something to my community,” he admits. Although the initial goal was to represent local artists, that has changed over time, and the gallery now has an international roster that includes artists from Chile, Guatemala, and Bolivia.
The gallery’s format follows the international model of representation: “Our mission is to advance artists’ careers by promoting their work and fostering institutional and collector relationships,” he says.
When asked how the sector has evolved in Peru, her answer is clear: “I believe that, with the proliferation of art fairs, the scene has become increasingly globalized, which has its advantages because Latin America has always been somewhat on the periphery. This allows us to enter more global markets.”
Art in a Politicized Region
In a region that has traditionally—and increasingly—been politicized and marked by ideological conflict, Livia reflects on the influence of these factors on the way Latin American artists create and present their work: “I feel that these are the core themes around which artists begin to develop their own explorations based on their concerns. This arises inherently or unconsciously from the collective imagination of each region. So we have many common themes: colonialism, for example, and all those ancestral legacies.”
“Latin American artists tend to carry a stronger conceptual weight, rooted in their history” — Livia Benavides
For Livia, contemporary art produced in Peru is perceived no differently within its borders than outside them: “I believe that artistic languages ultimately end up being universal, because there is definitely also an influencing factor that is art history—which is universal—but it always carries those individual nuances shaped by our own histories and our own collective imagination. On an aesthetic level, as well.”
The artists at Livia Benavides Gallery
Over the course of the gallery’s nearly fifteen-year history, Livia Benavides has established a prominent international presence: Rita Ponce de León, Ximena Garrido-Lecca—who in 2026 will present a sculpture on New York’s High Line, marking a milestone in her career. In addition, she participated in the Santa Fe Biennialthis year —and Fernando Bryce are just a few of the names making waves.
Some of the gallery’s artists have engaged with leading institutions such as MoMA, the Tate, the Guggenheim, and the Reina Sofía. “I’d also like to mention Sandra Gamarra, who was in the Spanish pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale and was the first non-Spanish-born artist to have the opportunity to represent that country,” adds Livia.
By 2026, Galería Livia Benavides, which has just returned from Zona Maco in Mexico, continues to tour the main circuit of Ibero-American art fairs: Miami Basel, Frieze London, and ARCOmadrid.
“In my particular case, given that this is a region that has always been somewhat on the periphery—especially in countries like Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and Bolivia, which haven’t had the opportunity to tap into the major markets, such as the United States, Europe, and now Asia—and the Middle East is also emerging as a new hub for Art Basel in Qatar. So I think that outreach is important,” he concludes.
