Camnitzer was born in Lubeck, Germany in 1937, but raised in Uruguay and is a Uruguayan citizen. He studied architecture and sculpture at the University of Uruguay in Montevideo, and later studied sculpture and printmaking at the Munich Academy. In 1964 he moved to New York.

He has had many solo and group exhibitions. These include events in the U.S., Latin America and Europe.

He is an internationally acclaimed artist and theoretician.

Since the 1960s, he has written frequently for several art publications. In 1994, he published a book, New Art of Cuba.

Camnitzer taught at the State University of New York at Old Westbury, New York, from 1964. He is Professor Emeritus at University of the State of New York. He lives in Great Neck, New York.