Through critical and narrative-driven work, HOT provides creative consultation, generating and implementing strategies, ideas and critical stories for culture and business in both physical and digital realms.
HOT is also a space of research and experimentation, with a strong interest in evolving visual and technologically-driven culture and the impact on the way we live. We develop original independent and collaborative interdisciplinary projects, working across academia, arts and industry.

HOT was founded by Michael Salu, an independent creative scholar, writer, director and artist, who brings wide-ranging creative and critical expertise and experience across disciplines.

As a designer and creative director, Salu has won awards from the likes of D&AD and Communication Arts.

As a writer of prose, essay and criticism, Salu is the author of Red Earth (2023), What Lies Beyond the Red Earth? (2024) and the editor of Cybernetics, or Ghosts? (2024). He has published widely in literary and art publications and spoken on various topics at places like 5x15.

As a creative and digital strategist, Salu has helped build a variety of brands and organisations across the cultural sector and has provided consultancy and strategy to media & culture businesses.

As an editor, he has helped platform a variety of critical ideas within art and literature.

As an interdisciplinary artist, he has developed a research-based practice driven by narrative.

For Salu, HOT is the perfect conduit to meet new clients, initiate and collaborate on original, thought-provoking projects, and create, publish and tell stories across digital mediums, physical spaces and film.


Clients & Collaborators
HOT has consulted for many organisations across a variety of projects, working from initial strategy to final execution. HOT has spoken at forums and received both press and awards for our work. Here are just a few of our past collaborators.
5x15 Talks
The Ace Hotel
American Suburb X
Archivio Magazine
Art Dubai
The Association of Illustrators
The Berlin Writing Prize
Birmingham University
The British Council Germany
The Caine Prize
Catapult
Cassava Republic
Coffee House Press
Communication Arts
Curzon
D&AD
Entropy Magazine
Falmouth University
Freeman's Journal
Garagisme
Granta
Grey Magazine
The Great Wall Oakland
Gropius Bau Museum
Haus der Kulturen der Welt
Hendrick's Gin
The Hospital Club, London
The Initiative of Narrative Journalism, Amsterdam
Island Records
King Kong Magazine
Kingston University
The Lemon Tree House
Maclehose Press
Matches Fashion
The New School
Next Nature
Nils Frahm
Paralaxe Editions
Penguin Random House
The Photographer's Gallery
Piano Day
Mr Porter
Sleek Magazine
Soft Skull Press
The Southbank Centre
The Royal College of Art
The Royal Literary Fund
TED x
University of Wolverhampton
Unseen Amsterdam
Vinyl Me Please
The Wellcome Collection
Wildness Journal
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