Today I’m happy to introduce you Amelie Hornung, who I met through my partner 3 years ago and who is also based in Munich. Amelie is a highly creative person - no matter if it’s about her outfits, her culinary creations (taste AND appearance), creating objects or renovating her home. So let’s dive in to get to know her better:
Amelie, please tell us a bit about yourself :)
Hi, I’m Amelie and I would call myself a conceptual culinary artist and sensory storyteller. Ever since I was a child, I’ve been obsessed with exploring the world in my own way - instinctively drawn to textures, tastes, forms, colours, and the emotions they evoke. I grew up in a creative, liberating and lively family, where I was raised to be a conscious and respectful individual with a deep appreciation for food, fashion and design - and for living in the moment. Throughout my life, I‘ve kept exploring the world and emotions in my own way, always seeking ways to rebel against the ordinary. It makes me happy to see things ‘‘alive‘‘, things that touch you in a meaningful way and stand out from the indifferent. It feels inevitable that I express my own sense of the world through what I do today.
My work exists at the intersection of culinary expression, visual aesthetics and materiality. My installations merge food, objects and spatial design into multisensory experiences that provoke emotions. I portray ideas, spaces and brand identities in the form of edible narratives that invite people not just to see or taste, but to truly engage with physiological, environmental and interpretational senses. Each element becomes a vessel for storytelling - crafted to be seen, touched, tasted and felt.
Your culinary creations are always a visual (and flavorful!) treat. It’s always so inspiring to see how you translate brand identities into edible experiences. Where do you find inspiration and get the ideas for your food?
Somehow I know when flavours or elements will work with each other - even if I haven’t tried them before. Its like my senses speak to each other in advance. My projects usually begin with a theme - I need a narrative thread to follow. If a client doesn’t provide a clear direction, I spark my own. Sometimes it’s a colour, a shape, a material or a feeling that I want to convey. The beginning always feels a bit like stepping into fog. But once I take the first steps, the process starts to unfold naturally.
Though... I often scrap the whole concept just days before an event and rebuild everything from scratch. High entropy is a part of my creative rhythm.
Food installation in the show flat of AD100 interior designer Stephanie Thatenhorst:
Food installation for the interior brand Schönbuch:
Food installation for St. Moritz tourism
Creative culinary and food installations are a big thing since some time - what would you say are still challenges in this "industry" and are there any advises you can give others who would love to start working in this field?
The biggest challenge I see in communicating the value of what I do. I’m not offering classic catering service where guests just fill their plates. I create installations - sensory experiences that express brand identities through tastes, forms and materials. Every concept is unique, built for a moment in time, only for the client.
Another hurdle: People often offer social media posts or ’’exposure’’ as a sort of payment. But my work has a price. Growth may come slowly, but to keep creating, I need to make a living. Staying confident, protecting my worth and being patient are essential. Just as important: stay curious and never stop experimenting.#
You’re always creating - from handmade objects to table setups. What role does working with your hands play in your life? Do you have any favorite materials or recent obsessions? What are some objects you've made?
Almost everything in my life is still connected to sensory exploration. It is like heuristic play of a curious toddler. I like touching, shaping and layering materials - whether it’s food, fabric or paper.
Lately, I’ve been especially drawn into working with wood and paper-mâché, creating small objects and pieces of furniture. The world feels like a playground, full of textures and endless possibilities. I like getting lost in time while shaping, experimenting and simply playing with whatever material is in front of me.
Is there a place - a hotel, a gallery, a restaurant, or even a whole city that’s really left a mark on you and your creative journey?
I can’t name specific places that consciously shaped me, but there are places that make me feel incredibly calm. Here are some of them:
Lemaire Elzévir in Paris, a boutique with a calm, grounded atmosphere, created through the use of earthy tones and natural materials in its interior design.
Pictures by Christophe Coënon The Rope Gallery in Munich, a curated space filled with design, craftsmanship and art. A place full of materials and calmness.
Pictures by Daniel Schäfer Blue Mountain School in London, an interdisciplinary space that brings together everything I’m drawn to - furniture and object design, fashion, a restaurant, interior architecture and art, all wrapped in an urban setting. It exudes a remarkably calming and nurturing atmosphere.
Pictures by Lewis Ronald And final question I love asking, because I believe in saying dreams out loud: if you could choose freely - what kind of project would be your absolute dream to work on or collaborate with?
I don’t have one specific dream client or project. What I’m working towards is the opportunity to create multidisciplinary concepts that combine food art installations, interior design, audio and light. I’m especially interested in collaborating with fashion brands. My aim is to translate brand identities into immersive, sensory spaces - experiences that engage all senses and leave a lasting impression.
Another passion of mine is visual merchandising, especially shop windows. There is so much untapped potential in that space and I’d like to reimagine how we tell stories in retail.
Thank you so much Amelie for all the insights in your work.
If you want to follow Amelie’s design journey from now on, you can find her here on Instagram: