Claudio Sotolongo
Claudio Sotolongo (Havana, 1982) is a prominent graphic artist, editorial designer, and professor of Design History at the University of Havana. His work focuses on the collection and archiving of images, exploring how these processes influence collective memory and shape the urban landscape. He has developed a multidisciplinary body of work that includes screen printing, engraving, photography, and objects, with a particular emphasis on the relationship between art and public space. His career has included residencies in cities such as Havana, Rome, and Heidelberg, fostering an international perspective in his work.
He has been awarded the Rome Prize by the Royal Academy of Spain in Rome twice (2017 and 2019) and received the Coral Prize for Best Poster at the 40th International Festival of New Latin American Cinema in Havana for Últimos días de una casa. His work has been exhibited at major events such as the 14th Havana Biennial (2021), the 7th Cuban Contemporary Art Salon (2007), and the Ibero-American Design Biennial in Madrid (2020). He was also a resident artist at the Center for the Development of Visual Arts in Havana with the project X2. Proyecto de obra (2010).
His posters have been selected for major international biennials, including those in Warsaw, Lublin, Trnava, Gwangju, Peru, and Bolivia. They are also part of prestigious collections such as the Margaret Herrick Library, UCLA, the Center for the Study of Political Graphics (CSPG), the Cinemateca de Cuba, and the Museum für Gestaltung in Zurich. His academic background includes a Master’s in Design Management and Innovation and a Bachelor’s in Visual Communication Design, both from the Higher Institute of Design (ISDi).
Throughout his career, Sotolongo has combined artistic production with notable academic and curatorial work. He has been a visiting scholar at the University of Heidelberg (2023) and has participated in group exhibitions in Havana, Madrid, Seoul, and other cities. His work, characterized by a deep reflection on the urban environment and visual memory, continues to evolve and make an impact both in Cuba and internationally.
Curriculum
Assistant Professor of History of Design. Editorial designer at the University of Havana.
Visiting Scholar University of Heidelberg (2023) Artist in Residence Royal Academy of Spain in Rome (2019-2020)
I am a graphic artist based in Havana, Cuba. A background in art history and graphic design has informed my artistic practice both conceptually
and technically. I am interested in the processes of collecting and archiving images and how they shape our collective memory. I work in city environments paying special attention to the processes that shape the urban landscape: from architecture to vandalism. This has
led me to produce a series of works in different media -serigraphy, engraving, photography and objects- in response to public space. I have worked in Havana, Rome and Heidelberg.
Twice awarded the Rome Prize by the Royal Academy of Spain in Rome (2017 and 2019), artist-in-residence at the Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales in Havana with the project X2. proyecto de obra (2010). My work was exhibited at the XV Havana Biennial (2024), XIV Havana Biennial (2021), the VII Salón Cubano de Arte Contemporáneo (2007).
Margaret Herrick and UCLA libraries
the Center for the Studies of Political Graphics (CSPG) the Center for Cuban Studies in New York
the Cinemateca de Cuba
the Centro Studi Cartel Cubano in Venice
Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich
Fünf Kontinente Museum, Munich
Museum für Gestaltung in Zurich
