Contemporary Mexico City is a bit like early aughts Berlin: a chaotic yet profoundly mystical metropolis where syncretism and modernity co-exist in perfect harmony.

Its arts scene, far from being confined solely to museums and galleries, thrives in the public realm: an Alexander Calder sculpture—one of the largest in the world—sits outside a major stadium; a wall carved by Isamu Noguchi hides inside the Abelardo L. Rodriguez market; a Salvador Dali piece graces the entrance of a Polanco mall; and Mathias Goeritz’s amber-stained glass illuminates the Metropolitan Cathedral.

“Is a very particular country of contrasts and eclecticism; a country where pastiches of architecture, art, and imagination are created,” the ceramic artist Renata Petersen, a native of Guadalajara, tells me. “It is very common to see old churches with renovations in French Gothic, Baroque, or Neoclassical style, although you can still see remnants of the pre-Hispanic styles.”

Trying to understand Mexico simply as a geographical space would be misguided: Its cultural impact has far exceeded its physical limitations. In the words of Mexican gallerist Hilario Galguera “Mexico is an idea. An idea that permeates everywhere.” Its spirited imagery has fueled the dreamlike scenarios of figures from Salvador Dalí to André Breton.

On a recent morning, as jacarandas blossomed all around, a “closed for installation” notice hung on virtually every gallery door across town. In a few weeks, the city would be completely covered in pale indigo, signalling the anticipated return of Mexico City Art Week.

Programmed from February 5 until February 9 this year, art week has seen some 90 spaces throughout Mexico City transformed for the occasion, their various exhibitions highlighting Mexico’s extraordinary artistic heritage—and constant reinvention.

“I’m not intending to build a bridge between America and Europe, I’m building a bridge between Mexico and the world,” Galguera, a longtime fixture of the local creative scene, says. Thirty years ago, he played an important part in the shift from Mexican muralism to a more globally minded contemporary art, showing Donald Judd, Robert Rauschenberg, and Alexander Calder at a time when Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Frida Kahlo still dominated the Mexican art market. “People started noticing there was life beyond borders, and my job as a gallerist has always been to offer my clients new ways of reading the world,” he says. Now, he’s showcasing Issa Salliander’s collaboration with Den of Wolves, a juxtaposition of physical painting and videogames pixels.