About The Artist
Born in Cuba, lives and works in the USA.
Artist Statement
My artistic practice is centered on questioning the dynamics of power and the opposing forces between individuals, communities, organizations, and nations—forces that often lead to military conflicts with their negative aftermath.
Through the creation of two-dimensional, three-dimensional, and multimedia works, I explore themes such as the relationship between design, the revitalization of symbols, and ideological manipulation. I also reflect on the glorification of hedonism, the impact of grandiose rhetoric, the rise of nationalisms, and the theatricality of military power as mechanisms of control.
Selected Exhibitions
2025 – T.O (Theater of Operations), Zapata Gallery, Miami, USA
2019 – Art on the Bay, Solo exhibition during Art Basel Miami Beach at Eloquence on the Bay, Miami Beach, FL.
2018 – RAW WAR, Solo Exhibition, Concrete Space, Doral, FL.
2009 – BENEATH, Proposal for the Sculpture Center, Long Island City, NY.
2009 – MAMBRÚ IS GONE TO WAR, Kunsthaus Contemporary Art Space.
2009 – Santa Fé, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
2009 – ZONA MACO, Contemporary Art Fair, Mexico City, DF.
2009 – Miami Magic City, Video, International Art Video Festival, Instituto Cervantes de Salvador de Bahía, Brazil.
2008 – ONE-ONE-TWO, 801 Studios, Miami, FL.
2006 – EN TRANCE, 801 Studios, Miami, FL.
2005 – FIRST CALL (Experimental 8 Series), 801 Studios, Miami, FL.
2004 – THUNDER IN THE NIGHT, Honoring Santa Barbara-Changó, 801 Studios, Miami, FL.
2004 – 801 Studios Opening Exhibition, Miami, FL.
Education
Feb. 2003 – St. Petersburg, Florida. Information Graphics
1990–1992 – Conservation, Restoration, and Museology Center, CENCREM, Havana. Master’s Degree in Architectural Conservation
1975–1980 – University of Havana. Degree in Architecture
Selected Articles
2025 – Interview for Artcrónica magazine as part of the series ‘Cuban Art in Emigration’
2025 – “The Works of Arnaldo Simón: From Architecture to Visual Arts,” Interview with writer and journalist Wendy Guerra for her segment “Three Minutes with Wendy Guerra,” CNN en Español.
2025 – “T.O. (Theater of Operations) by Arnaldo Simón: A Statement on Our Era,” by Janet Batet.
2025 – “‘Theater of Operations’: Maneuvers by Arnaldo Simón,” by Patricia Sicre, Diario de Cuba.
2025 – Interview for Nanchi Farfant Art Report.
2018 – “Raw/War: A Visual Essay,” Joaquin Badajoz, Raw War Catalogue Exhibition.
2018 – “Arnaldo Simón, A Message for War,” Carol Damian, Ph.D., Raw/War Catalogue Exhibition.
2018 – “Arnaldo Simón: On How to Disarm the Symbology of Power,” Adriana Herrera, Ph.D., Raw/War Catalogue Exhibition.
2018 – Interview in Art Districts Magazine #54 by Raisa Clavijo, editor of ARTPULSE and ARDISTRICT magazines.
2018 – Article in Reviews, Art Nexus Magazine Issue 110.
2018 – “Anagrams of War,” by Janet Batet, Section Galeria 305, El Nuevo Herald.
2017 – Faces: Cuban Artists, book by Carlos Manuel Cárdenes.
2009 – “Arnaldo Simón and the Disturbing Images of Advertising,” Wynwood The Art Magazine.
2009 – “Arnaldo Simón: Ubiquitous Wars,” by Sarah Moreno, Arts and Letters section, El Nuevo Herald.
2009 – Laberinto de Lecturas, by Jesús Rosado. Cubaencuentro.com.
2006 – Two Views in Miami Art Explosion, book by Alfredo Triff.
2005 – ‘Experimental Phase’. By Lyssa Oberkreser, Miami New Times magazine