Simón Vega

In his multidisciplinary art, Simón Vega examines and parodies disparities between first- and second-world cultures, economies, and social experiences. He does this through various drawings, ephemeral sculptures, and installations. In the case of the latter, Vega’s three-dimensional works mimic sleek, cutting-edge technological advances such as Modernist buildings or NASA space crafts. Executed in detritus—found materials collected from the beaches of El Salvador or the streets of Medellín, for example—the artist’s creations closely relate to the street vendor stands and self-made houses of Central America’s margins. Though seeped in irony and criticism, Vega’s work nonetheless retains a sense of humor, guiding the viewer through a thought-provoking experience of art, politics, and history.

Born in San Salvador, El Salvador in 1972, Vega graduated from the University of Veracruz in Mexico with a degree in fine arts before pursuing graduate work in contemporary arts at the Complutense University in Madrid. He has exhibited extensively in Europe, the United States, and Latin America, including at the 55th Venice Biennale, the IX Havana Biennial, and the Museo del Barrio in New York. Vega lives in La Libertad, El Salvador.