Carmen Aguilar y Wedge
Mi historia
I am a Mexican-American artist, designer, and creative based in San Francisco, California. For over a decade, I have directed projects at the intersection of speculative design, technology, architecture, and storytelling—creating immersive, transmedia experiences that live across physical and digital space.
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I am the co-founder of Hyphen-Labs, a creative collaboration with architect Ece Tankal. Together, we develop bespoke, site-specific installations and experiences that explore how emerging technologies shape culture, identity, and our relationship to the world. Our aesthetic framework draws from science fiction, futurism, and surrealism, grounded in speculative, human- and planet-centered design.
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Our work NeuroSpeculative AfroFeminism introduced me to the contemporary art world and continues to be referenced as a groundbreaking work of transmedia art. The project has been exhibited internationally at Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW, Somerset House, Ars Electronica, and Art Basel, among others. Through Hyphen-Labs, I have led multidisciplinary creative teams producing installations and experiences that have toured museums, galleries, and festivals worldwide.
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In 2018, Hyphen-Labs joined the talent roster of the award-winning production company m ss n g p eces , expanding into public-facing and commercial work with clients including Google, Meta, the National Safety Commission, and Intel. These projects have been featured in publications such as New Yorker, Guardian, New York Times, and we even made it on the front page of Reddit.
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My background in civil engineering and interaction design gives me a deep understanding of the full pipeline from concept through production and fabrication. My practice as an artist has strengthened my storytelling instincts—crafting digital and physical experiences that invite curiosity, humor, and connection.
Some of my proudest moments include receiving the United States Artists Fellowship, the Ida B Ruben Fellowship at MIT, the Eyeo Curatorial Fellowship, and being part of projects recognized with Cannes Lions, D&AD Pencils, and ADC Cubes for innovation in experience design.
Alongside my design practice, my curiosity has led me into physical theater and the study of folly. Through performance, I’ve seen how comedy and laughter act as powerful catalysts for connection. I’m deeply interested in questions like: Why do we find things funny? Why has the archetype of the fool endured across cultures and centuries? And how might collective play help us connect the physical, emotional, and digital worlds?​​​