about hyphenate

hyphenate is a studio founded by Chris Scoates that champions the development of innovative projects that engage the arts broadly. We cultivate and facilitate explorations at the intersection of art, design, sound and technology, developing multi-disciplinary work that reshapes the way we experience the world. From conferences to museum installations and conceptual design explorations, we probe the boundaries that define the collective understanding of our environment. As a studio and curatorial practice, we approach the arts with the same quest for knowledge, discovery, and understanding that guides the scientist, engineer, or anthropologist in order to make the known, unfamiliar.

chris scoates cultural strategist and innovator

A native of England, Chris Scoates is a cultural strategist, curator, and producer whose practice spans contemporary art, design, experimental sound, and new media. He has collaborated with leading artists and architects, pioneering musicians and sound artists, futurists and technologists, and educational institutions and research laboratories to develop innovative projects that challenge convention and redefine norms.

He has held leadership positions at museums and educational institutions across the United States including the Museum of Arts and Design (New York), Cranbrook Academy of Art and Art Museum (Bloomfield Hills, MI), California State University Long Beach, University of California Santa Barbara, Washington University (St. Louis, MO), and the Atlanta College of Art. As Director of the acclaimed Cranbrook Academy of Art and Art Museum in suburban Detroit, he conceptualized and implemented the first technology-focused graduate degree program in the institution’s history, launching 4D design and appointing the first Designer-in-Residence to lead the program. He co-founded and directed 5D: The Immersive Design conference in collaboration with the Art Directors Guild and underwritten by Autodesk, which went on to become the World Building Media Lab within the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts.

Scoates has lectured widely, including at the FMX conference in Stuttgart, the Hammer Museum at UCLA, the Getty Research Institute, and Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom. His publications include the only authorized monograph on musician Brian Eno’s visual practice and the first volume to explore the work of noted lighting designer Andi Watson. His writings have appeared in exhibition catalogues and periodicals including New Art Examiner, Art Papers, and Sculpture Magazine.

our commitment

“If politically engaged artistic production is to function as more than a utopian substitute for proper politics, important changes lie ahead.”

Chris wrote this statement 25 years ago, and today change is still urgently needed. At the outset of his career, his commitment to advancing social justice was evident in exhibitions centered around race, ethnicity, feminism, the LGBTQ+ community, domestic violence, and neo-colonialism. As he returns to cultural strategy and curatorial practice, he is invigorated by the power of this time to bring meaningful change and is committed to engaging projects that ask difficult, challenging questions of their audiences.

hyphenate recognizes that much work remains to be done. At a time when conflicts and inequities in society seem insurmountable and beliefs and politics are in turmoil, recognizing our common humanity can be an increasing challenge. We believe that art and design can catalyze conversation and change hearts and minds. We are committed to building a practice that contributes to a more equitable and representative cultural community and amplifies the diverse voices challenging the status quo.