Born in 1972 in Lisboa, Portugal.

Catarina Simão is an artist and researcher who lives and works between Maputo and Lisbon.Her practice is built upon long-term research projects that entail collaborative partnerships and different forms of presentation to the public. Simão is known for her essay-like displays, using documentation, writing, video and drawing. She also engages in radio shows and public talks, participatory workshops, curating film screenings and publishing.

Since 2009 that Simão works with the notion of Archive, engaging especially with Mozambique colonial and anti-colonial history. Simão approaches critically the counterpart of record’s custody, their mutable meanings and their ability to embody a deferred knowledge. She works mainly with film and video set in installation but also uses other figurative elements like photography, textbooks, drawing and sound. Simão's work has been shown at Serralves Museum, Manifesta 8, Africa.cont, Reina Sofia Museum, Ashkal Alwan, New Museum, The Kyiv School, EVA International, Transit Gallery, Garage Museum and IASPIS, among others.In Mozambique, Simão developed conditions for an artistic intervention within a social context by collaborating with local associations and institutions. She co-curated Arsenal's Living Archive film digitalization project and she is a member of the Mozambique Oficina de História (History Workshop). In 2016, she co-directed a Mozambique TV film called Djambo. 

contact: catarina.simao[at]gmail.com