Ulrich Wegenast, born 1966 in Stuttgart, is dean at the Peter Behrens School of Arts, Faculty of Design, at Hochschule Düsseldorf.
Master in History and History of Art at Stuttgart University (MA), postgraduate studies in Culture and Media Management at Hanns Eisler School of Music, Berlin. Since 2012 he is honorary professor at the Babelsberg Film University “Konrad Wolf”.
In 1987 he was founding member of Wand 5 and Stuttgart Filmwinter – Festival for Expanded Media – a festival for experimental film and media art. He was member of the Wand 5-board until 2006.
From 1993-2005 has was curator for the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) and the European Shortfilm Biennale.
2005-2022 he became managing director of Film & Media Festival Association which runs the ITFS and Raumwelten – Platform for Scenography, Architecture, and Media in Ludwigsburg.
In 2002 he developed the experimental film section for the Munich Filmfest. From 2003 to 2004 he has worked as a consultant for the Frankfurt Schirn Kunsthalle and 2005 for the documenta jubilee exhibition. 2005-2013 member of the advisory board of the Goethe Institute (Film, TV, Radio), 2007-2013 member of the jury of the German Short Film Award.
2004-2011 lecturer for film/media art, media theory and alternative distribution at the Karlsruhe School of Design, Stuttgart State Art Academy, and Merz Akademie in Stuttgart. From 2004 to 2014 he was head of the media department of the Baden-Wuerttemberg Free Art Academy.
He has published a 6-part DVD edition on German animated film which has received the Willi Haas Award for best DVD-edition on German speaking film in 2012.
In September 2022 Wegenast became dean of the Peter Behrens School of Arts, Faculty of Design, at Hochschule Düsseldorf.
Wegenast gave more than 200 lectures and workshops on animation, experimental film, media art, arts administration and game culture around the globe including Harvard University, University of Toronto, Nanyang University of Technology Singapore, Berlinale Festival, Tallin Black Nights Festival, the Bangkok Culture Centre, KASK Gent, Annecy Animation Festival and Ars Electronica in Linz.
Wegenast also works as producer for short films, commercials and media installations for i.a. Badische Kunsthalle, City of Fellbach, Goethe Center Harare, L-Bank Baden-Wuerttemberg, Staatsgalerie Stuttgart.
