After studying for one year at the Montaigne Academy, Amsterdam (currently AMFI), Maarten Cornel (1978, NL) switched to study philosophy at the Vrije Universiteit (VU) in Amsterdam, where he obtained his master's degree. At the VU Cornel specialized in aesthetics, ethics and antiquity/archaeology. Combining his lifelong passion for the arts, especially painting and music, with cognitive investigations into (the mainly continental) philosophical discourses is his passion. Next to that, he has studied art history as a minor and researched many sources on (historical) art materials and technologies.
Cornel created courses in philosophy for the Bachelor of Graphic Design since 2019. In recent years Cornel collaborates with the Image course to have joint projects on socio-cultural subjects. Next to this Cornel has been the lecturer and research group teacher in the academy-wide (first year) program of Research & Discourse, which has transformed into a new programme ‘Common Ground’. Cornel teaches the convert sessions. Since 2020, together with Ingrid Grünwald, Cornel has been organizing big dialogues at the KABK and other European art schools. These sessions entail working on collectivity, articulation and problem solving. These experiences led us to participate in the research group of the lectorate ‘Politics of knowledge’.