* 1963, currently based: Singapore
Affiliated institution: LASALLE | University of the Arts Singapore
https://www.lasalle.edu.sg/about/academics/wolfgang-muench
About
Dr Wolfgang Muench is a media artist and arts educator. He holds the position of Dean, Learning, Teaching & Research at LASALLE College of the Arts, University of the Arts Singapore. His research is concerned with issues surrounding sociocultural and societal impacts and effects of media technology and human-computer interfaces. He studied Fine Arts in a pre-computer era at the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design, Germany, and the University of Applied Arts Vienna, Austria. In 1996, he joined the ZKM Centre for Art and Media Karlsruhe, Germany, as programmer and software designer. He was involved in various projects at the ZKM institutes of Visual Media, Music and Network-Development, such as the 'Panoramic Navigator' and the CD-ROM series 'artintact' and 'digital arts edition'. He taught Interactive Media at Merz-Academy Stuttgart (1997), Hong Kong Art Centre / The Art School (2003) and LASALLE Singapore (2003), and was artist in residence at ARS Electronica Linz, Austria (2001), ZKM (2002), and IAMAS Institute for Advanced Media Arts and Science Ogaki, Japan (2003). In his artworks and research, he examines socio-cultural implications of media technology and human computer interfaces. His interactive installations and artworks, including 'Bubbles' (in collaboration with K. Furukawa), and 'Small Fish', in collaboration with K. Furukawa and M. Fujihata, have been shown in numerous international media art exhibitions and festivals in Europe, America and Asia. In 2004, he was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Media Arts at LASALLE College of the Arts Singapore, and Chair of the LASALLE Research Committee in 2008. In 2017, he received his PhD in Theatre, Film and Media Studies from the University of Vienna.
CV
Academic Profile
Dr Wolfgang Muench is an academic leader, educator, and media artist whose work bridges artistic practice, pedagogical innovation, and institutional strategy. As Dean of Learning, Teaching & Research at LASALLE College of the Arts, he plays a central role in shaping the institution’s pedagogical and research environments in response to emerging epistemological shifts in tertiary arts education. He has developed pioneering curricula, advanced practice-led research cultures, and contributed extensively to academic governance and institutional development. His international profile includes collaborations with leading art institutions, scholars, and artists, and his contributions have been recognised through publications, exhibitions, and invited academic presentations internationally.
Teaching & Disciplinary Expertise
Dr Muench has demonstrated sustained expertise in teaching studio-based and theory-led media art courses and has provided academic leadership in interactive and media arts education since 1996. His teaching portfolio spans foundational to advanced levels across institutions in Europe and Asia, including roles at Merz Academy Stuttgart and the Hong Kong Art Centre / The Art School, delivering courses in media design, interactive systems, and software development. Since 2003, he has held senior academic positions at LASALLE, including Senior Lecturer in Interactive Art, Programme Leader for Media Arts, contributing to the development of practice-based, interdisciplinary pedagogies.
Service & Leadership
At LASALLE, Dr Muench has served in key academic leadership roles since 2004, including founding Dean of the Faculty of Media Arts and founding Dean of Learning, Teaching & Research. As Chair of the Research Committee since 2008, he has helped define the College’s strategic direction in research, academic publishing, and the development of a robust practice research culture. In his current role, he led the formation of the Pastoral Care Team, the development of The Learning Centre into a key institutional support unit, and the introduction of an inclusive support framework for students with alternative abilities (SEND). His leadership has consistently bridged academic governance, interdisciplinary curriculum review, student support, and quality assurance.
Research & Artistic Practice
Dr Muench’s research addresses the socio-cultural, technological, and epistemological impacts of media systems, with a particular focus on cybernetics, human-computer environments, and posthumanist frameworks. His research is grounded in practice-led methodologies and shaped by a sustained international artistic practice. Notable works such as Bubbles and Small Fish have been presented in over 50 international exhibitions and festivals across Europe, North America, and Asia, with Bubbles included in the ZKM Centre for Art and Media Karlsruhe permanent collection of the since 2003. His academic writing, including peer-reviewed publications in Routledge and Leonardo (MIT Press), explores the intersections of interactive systems and artistic knowledge production, and the implications of generative AI for research, learning environments, and epistemic frameworks.
Artistic & Professional Experience
Before joining LASALLE, Dr Muench worked at the ZKM Centre for Art and Media Karlsruhe, where he served as a software designer and project manager across the Institutes of Visual Media, Music and Acoustics, and Network Development. His work focused on the development of offline and online media art projects and immersive digital environments. At ZKM, he contributed to seminal media art projects, including the Panoramic Navigator Visitor Information System and the artintact series of hybrid book–CD-ROM editions. He was also involved in collaborative industry-facing initiatives with DaimlerChrysler and Nokia, working at the interface of artistic practice, technological development, and public engagement.
Works
- »Bubbles« 1998
News
Exhibitions & Events
Publications & References
Villeré, Mariel. »Refashioning the microbial Body.« Threshold , no. 42 (2012).