Cornelia Erdmann
About
PhD, Academy of Visual Arts, HKBU, Hong Kong
MFA (Public Art & New Artistic Strategies), Bauhaus-University Weimar, Germany
Dipl.-Ing. (Arch), Bauhaus-University Weimar, Germany

Cornelia Erdmann is a German visual artist, reseracher and curator who has been based in Hong Kong since 2006.  Since mid 2023, she has relocated to Weimar, Germany, but still commutes between the cities to follow up on projects.

With her background in fine art as well as in architecture, she likes to blur the boundaries between creative disciplines, exploring modes of narrativity connecting subjective realities and objective spaces. Light is an integral medium of her research and practice.

She specialises in site-specific installations and public art works that are found in private and public collections, and at light art festivals around the globe. Above all, she enjoys to collaborate with communities to co-create public artworks that help to build and generate collective memories.

In recent years, she had works commissioned – mostly for hospitality (i.e The Peninsula Hotel (HK), InterContinental Suzhou (CN), Deacon Hotel Wuxi (CN), Studio City Macau), commercial spaces and offices (i.e. South China Morning Post Headquarters (HK), The HK Jockey Club, The Olympic (HK), Lee Flagship Store (HK), CITIC Bank (HK)), but as well as private homes – in Hong Kong, greater China, Singapore, and the UK. She has exhibited in many museums, galleries around the globe and in art festivals in Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and the UK.

Her best known work is the light sculpture “The People” for the main lobby in the new Legislative Council Complex in Hong Kong.

Academic Qualifications
2018–2021 Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University (HK)
Fine Art
PhD
Supported by a fellowship by the Hong Kong Baptist University

Title of PhD thesis: “On Lightscapes: Exploring the Aesthetics and Narrativities of Light and Colour in Contemporary Hong Kong”

2002–2005 Bauhaus-University Weimar (DE)
Fine Art
MFA “Public Art & New Artistic Strategies” (Prädikat “Sehr gut“)

Title of Master thesis: “Neue Heimlichkeit vs the Insuficiencies of Urban Space” (Prof. Liz Bachhuber)

1996–2002 Bauhaus-University Weimar (DE)
Architecture
Dipl.-Ing. (Arch) (Prädikat “Sehr gut“)
Supported by a full scholarship from the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes e.V. (National German Academic Scholarship Foundation)

Title of thesis: “Ein Heim für Homeless in Tokio/A Home for Homeless in Tokyo” (at the chair for Structural Design/Baukonstruktion Prof. Mike Loudon)

1999–2000 Waseda University Tokyo (JP)
Architecture Department, Graduate School
Architecture (one-year exchange programme at the laboratory of Prof. Osamu Ishiyama)
Supported by scholarship from the Daimler-Chrysler Foundation
Experience
since mid 2023 relocated to Weimar, Germany (continues to commute between HK and Weimar)
Freelance artist, curator & creative director
2006–2023 lives and works in Hong Kong
Studio Laiyan Projects
2023 Part-time lecturer for City Cultures at Department of Cultural Studies, Lingnan University, Hong Kong
2010–2023 Part-time lecturer (BA and MA) for Art & Space, Public Art, Art & Public, Art & Senses and Experience Design Studio at Academy of Visual Arts, HKBU
2014–2020 Part-time lecturer for Light Art & Public Art at HK University of Science and Technology (HKUST)
2008 Founder & Creative Art Director of laiyan Projects Limited
2007 Gallery manager at the non-profit gallery 1a space (HK)
2005-2006 Freelance artist with studio Raumkunst
2003-2004 Part-time lecturer for Mediatektur at the chair for CAAD at ETH Zürich (CH)
2003-2005 Freelance artist at Designafairs GmbH, Munich (DE)
2002-2005 Part-time lecturer for various courses in the MFA course Public Art at Bauhaus-University Weimar (DE)
2000 Intern at Koike Kazuko design, Tokyo (JP)
1999-2000 Intern at Ishiyama Osamu Underground Laboratory, Tokyo (JP)
1998-1999 Freelancer (part-time) at Ideenwerkstatt (agency for public events) of Bauhaus-Universität Weimar (DE)
1995-1996 Assistant teacher for German and Fine Art at Tormead School, Guildford, Surrey (UK)