I am an award-winning creative director, writer, art editor/critic and artist.
As a creative writer/thinker, as well as experienced, designer, creative director and visual artist, I now combine these skills to produce concepts and thinking spaces for brands really intent on exploring their relationship with their audience on a deeper sociological as well as economical level. My consultancy and research practice [HOUSEOFTHOUGHT.io] is underscored by literature, art and new technologies.
My fiction, non-fiction and art have appeared in a range of publications including Granta.com, Grey Magazine, and the anthology Tales of Two Cities (Penguin Random House). My most recent stories appear in the inaugural edition of Freeman’s, a new literary journal which also features writing from a number of top writers including Haruki Murakami, Dave Eggers and Helen Simpson and online literary journal Catapult.co.
Formerly I was the creative director and art editor of Granta Publications during which time I created original features with art and photography, publishing and creating work with of a host of established and new artists including Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin. I created a distinct aesthetic for the publishing house across its magazine and book activities, collecting a number of awards including D&AD and Communication Arts along the way.
Previously I art directed and designed a range of titles for the literary division of the Random House Group. Projects outside publishing included creating a brand strategy for Curzon Cinemas and work with artists such as Tricky.
I often speak about art, visual culture and literature at many cultural institutions and educational establishments, such as a recent TEDx event (my talk focused on the economy of deception within images), Unseen Photo Fair, The London Literature Festival and The Photographer’s Gallery.
Currently I've just finished first full novel & I am writing two films, one of which I'm directing also.
I mostly split my time between Berlin & London.
michaelsalu.com
Projects
- Tools for Extinction: contributorby Enrique Vila-Matas, Olivia Sudjic, Jon Fosse, Inger Wold Lund, Vi Khi Nao, Patrícia Portela, Lucie Elven, Mara Coson, Christina Hesselholdt, Jean-Baptiste Del Amo, Naja Marie Aidt, Michael Salu, Joanna Walsh, Jakuta Alikavazovic, Anna Zett, Emilio Fraia, Frode Grytten, and Olga Ravn Translations by Margaret Jull Costa, Zoë Perry, Martin Aitken, Denise Newman, Paul Russell Garrett, Damion Searls, and Rahul Bery Eighteen international writers respond to the open-ended period of social distan
- The Red Earth Project: language machine learning and augmented reality.Does language have its own geology? From our ongoing research project at House of Thought entitled 'Red Earth' - a series of translations between photography, film, prose and machine learning to produce, new geologies. Red Earth is a work I am developing as part of exploring the evolution of language and what we consider to be ‘lived experience’. In what I like to refer to as a series of translations, I am looking to create intimate narratives through direct translations between image, text an
- The Swarm: Language as a FictionAn creative and critical essay using natures swarming species as an entry point to discussing both the refractions of lnaguage and who actually owns language particularly in its current technological acceleration. Published by American literary magazine Entropy The piece also features a still from a new digital series I'm creating of the same name. Its a series thinking about the tense relationship between technology and nature (and also language).
- Nocturnes: A Special commission for Piano Day 2016Commissioned specially for Piano Day 2016, Nocturnes is a film exploring intimacy and the procreative power of insomnia. Piano Day is a worldwide celebration of the Piano founded by Nils Frahm. Director: Michael Salu Featuring: Adam Longman Parker Director of Photography: Lukas Feigelfeld Sound mixing and location: Vox-Ton Studios Berlin
Projects credited in
- Facial recognition and the ecstasy of synthesised experienceWe're exploring how ecstasy and agony are reintepreted when much of what we know as experience is now synthesised and privacy is no longer a right. These experiemental processes are now used on King of Joy as part of our creative strategy for Soft Skull Press in New York.2
Work history
DirectorHouse of Thought
Berlin, GermanyFreelance
My multi-disciplinary studio. I work with a broader network of top talent to produce a variety of different creative work for creative clients.
G
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Creative DirectorGranta Publications
- London, United KingdomFull Time
Creative director and art editor for all the activities of Granta Publications including two book publishing imprints and Granta Magazine. Responsible for developing the brand of Granta both on and offline. Picked up numerous awards and brought in countless artists and designers for collaborations including the likes of The Chapman Brothers and Sir Paul Smith.
Creative Direction
Commissioning Editor for print & online (art and photography)
Creative brand and digital strategy
Contributing writer
Designer
Illustrator
Granta Magazine
- Artistic Direction
http://www.granta.com/Online-Only/The-Art-of-Horror
- Commissioning Editor of art and photography
http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2010/september/granta-112-pakistan
- Writer
http://www.granta.com/Contributors/Michael-Salu
http://blog.eyemagazine.com/?p=579
http://www.granta.com/Online-Only/Remembering-Tim-Hetherington
Essay for issue 11 of Under the Influence magazine.
Article on 'Taste' for issue 19 of Varoom Magazine
- Digital and creative strategy
- Viral and promotional solutions
www.nothingbutamovie.com
http://www.thisisnotapurse.com
http://www.granta.com/Online-Only/Aftermath
Granta & Portobello Books
- Creative direction of all titles and digital marketing.
Granta Publications
- Brand development and implementation
Creative collaborators and published artists include:
Sir Paul Smith
The Chapman Brothers
Yinka Shonibare
Nadav Kander
The Royal College of Art
Central St Martins
The Photographer's Gallery
Adam Broomberg
Mishka Henner
Ghariokwu Lemi
Ian Teh
The Archive of Modern Conflict
A.L. Kennedy
John Burnside
James Jean
Paradise Row
The Zabludowicz Collection
Magnum Photos
Panos Pictures
Brad Feuerhelm
Kris Hofmann
Catherine Anyango
FUEL Publishing
Pocko
Big Active
YCN
The British Council
Crane TV
Owen Freeman
Institute for Eyes
Theo Tillberg
Jocabola
Monocle
Melvin Galapon
Meri Media
La Boca
Tom Darracott
+ Show more
Skills
- Concepts
- Ability to Adapt any Creative Project and Branding Solution
- 5+ Years art Directing
- Creative Writing
- 5+ Years Project Management
- Typography
- Filmmaking
- Narratives
- Brand Storytelling
- Creative Storytelling
Awards
Book designD&AD
Art direction award for Londoners, by Craig Taylor.Newspaper & Magazine DesignD&AD
D&AD 'in book' award for the Granta 'Sex' issue.+ Show more