Karlsruhe, October 16, 2025 - At its meeting on October 15, 2025, the University Council of the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design (HfG) elected Prof. Dr. Daniel Hornuff, Professor of Theory and Practice of Design and Vice-Rector for Studies and Teaching at the University of Kassel's School of Art, as its new Chairman. His term of office runs until the end of his current membership of the committee in August 2027.

Prof. Dr. Daniel Hornuff has been closely associated with the HfG Karlsruhe for many years: From 2005 to 2007, Hornuff studied art science and philosophy at the HfG. His master's thesis was awarded a prize by the ZKM Fördergesellschaft, and the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes subsequently supported his doctorate with the dissertation "Im Tribunal der Bilder. On the renegotiation of reality in theater and music video". His doctorate was followed in 2013 by his habilitation at the HfG Karlsruhe in art history with a thesis on the cultural and design history of pregnancy. His habilitation was nominated for the “Prize for Courageous Science” of the state of Baden-Württemberg.
Daniel Hornuff was initially an academic assistant at the HfG Karlsruhe and then deputy professor at the institution until 2018. Among other things, he took over the provisional management of the theory department and, together with colleagues from the universities of Frankfurt and Münster, raised funds from the Volkswagen Foundation for the joint project “Contemporary Aesthetics”.
Since 2019, Daniel Hornuff has been a professor at the University of Kassel's School of Art and Vice Rector for Studies and Teaching. His research and teaching are at the intersection of aesthetics, design and society, with a focus on contemporary aesthetics, design theory and visual culture.

He has already been involved as an external member of the HfG Karlsruhe University Council since July 2021. “I am delighted about the trust placed in me by the University Council and the opportunity to build on my long-standing connection to HfG,” explains Hornuff. "The HfG Karlsruhe has shaped my thinking and research. In times of change, it remains crucial to strengthen and further develop the open, critical and exploratory spirit of the HfG."

Thanks to Britta Wirtz and Prof. Dr. Rupert Vogel

The HfG Karlsruhe bids farewell to two long-standing members of the University Council with thanks and recognition: Britta Wirtz, Managing Director of Karlsruher Messe- und Kongress GmbH, and Prof. Dr. Rupert Vogel, lawyer in Karlsruhe and honorary professor at the University of Mannheim. Both have been members of the University Council since 2019 and have led it as dual leadership since January 2021.

Prof. Dr. Rupert Vogel contributed his legal expertise and international network to the work of the committee. As an expert in IT, copyright and AI law, he has supported the HfG in key issues of university development.

As Deputy Chair, Britta Wirtz has contributed her many years of experience in the international trade fair and congress sector and has supported the HfG with great commitment in strategic issues.

In cooperation with the various rectorates, in coordination with the Ministry of Science and always in dialog with the members of the university, Wirtz and Vogel have carried out their tasks with vision, a sense of responsibility and a high level of personal commitment.

New members of the University Council

Dr. Nico Arfmann and Philipp Ziegler have been newly appointed to the University Council.

Dr. Nico Arfmann is a lawyer and managing director of ARFMANN Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH in Karlsruhe and a partner in the law firm Arfmann & Berger Rechtsanwälte. He specializes in IT, copyright, media and design law.

Philipp Ziegler is head of the curatorial department at the ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe. He has been responsible for numerous international exhibition projects there since 2012, including Exo-Evolution (2016), Hybrid Layers (2017) and Peter Weibel (2019).

Both bring extensive experience in their respective fields and a strong commitment to art, media and design to the work of the University Council.

Reappointment of members

Anja Casser, Director of the Badischer Kunstverein, and Susanne Schmitt, artistic-technical teacher for model making at the HfG Karlsruhe, were confirmed in their positions.

Composition of the University Council

The University Council of the HfG Karlsruhe consists of nine members who are appointed by the Minister of Science. Five members, including the chairperson, are external personalities; four members belong to the university. The term of office is three years, re-election is possible.

External members:

• Prof. Dr. Daniel Hornuff (Chairman)
• Dr. Nico Arfmann
• Anja Casser
• Prof. Dr. Ines Kleesattel
• Philipp Ziegler

Internal members:

• Prof. Susanne Kriemann
• Nina Overkott
• Melanie Schillo
• Susanne Schmitt

The Rectorate, the Equal Opportunities Officer and a representative of the Ministry of Science attend the meetings in an advisory capacity.