Michael Erlhoff – CV

Michael Erlhoff is a German design expert, art theoretician and author. In 1991 he was appointed founding dean of the Koeln International School of Design in Cologne (KISD) where he is still professor of Design History and Design Theory. Together with Uta Brandes he runs the be design office (design consultancy and research, founded in 1991). He lives in Cologne, Germany.

Michael Erlhoff studied at the University of Hanover where he completed his PhD in German Literature, Art History and Sociology. During his studies he also worked as assistant producer at the Staatstheater Hannover and as a teacher at a technical college.

Michael Erlhoff worked for several years as research assistant and later as assistant professor at the University of Hanover. Together with Uta Brandes he published the magazine ‘zweitschrift’, he was editor-in-chief of the art magazine K, published an annual Kurt Schwitters Almanach for more than ten years and he was a member of the advisory committee for documenta 8 (1985-1987).

From 1986 to 1990, he was director of the German Design Council in Frankfurt am Main.

In 1991 he was appointed founding dean of the Koeln International School of Design in Cologne (KISD) where he is still professor of Design History and Design Theory. He also served as dean of the department for Cultural Studies at the Cologne University of Applied Arts (2002-2006). In 1997 he was guest professor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Michael Erlhoff was involved in the inception of the Raymond Loewy Foundation and was also president of this foundation from 1992 to 2006. Together with Uta Brandes he organised the St. Moritz Design Summit (2000 – 2006).

He is a member of the German Association for Design Theory and Research and of AICA (association internationale des critiques d’art). He regularly gives guest lectures and runs workshops at international universities, e.g. in Tokyo, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Taipei, Hong Kong, New York and Sydney.

Michael Erlhoff is a frequent member of national or international design juries. He is also the coordinator of the Cologne Design Prize and the Cologne Design Prize international, which are among the awards with the highest prize money for talented young design graduates.