Hi there,

I am an anthropologist and also a big-mountain snowboard athlete based in the Valais Alps, Switzerland. I work with film, text, and ethnography; for universities and the commercial sector. My work has been featured in international festivals and conferences.

Being in these two living environments require a deep understanding of terrain, whether it’s the physical contours of mountains or the blurred contours of societies. For me, they merge into a reflection about our relationship as humans to alpine environments. The inherent contradictions of such places – of death and life at the same time – fascinate me.

My primary area of expertise is visual anthropology. I teach anthropological perpectives to art students but also creative approaches to social sciences students. My research practices evolve at the frontier between the disciplines of academic and artistic creation, and I connect sensitive writing with experimental and observational film.

I studied social anthropology, visual anthropology and media and communication sciences in Switzerland, Chile and Norway and I hold a PhD degree in social anthropology with audio-visual media and multimodal approaches from the university of Bern. My dissertation is based on a long-term research project I conducted in Bolivia, where I examined specific cases of independent child labor and working children’s trade unions. My research interests encompass childhood studies, decolonial studies, audiovisual, collaborative and multimodal methods, and the Andean region.

In addition to academic writing, I also engage in various forms of non-fictional writing. My expertise ranges from feature writing and film, media consultancy for questions of ethics, diversity and representation, to anthropological investigations and analyses for institutions and the private sector.

Professionally, I am available for commissions and freelance work. I am bilingual in French and German and I also work and write in Spanish and English.

Besides of my academic and professional career I have continuously practiced snowboarding in various disciplines at high level. From freestyle snowboarding in my teenage to international freeride competitions, I am now embracing high-alpine, remote and big-mountain expeditions. 

Anthropological thinking and snowboarding are my two remedies for making sense of a world often steeped with absurdity. In these intellectual and physical pursuits, I find solace, comprehension and a lot of joy. I consider myself immensely fortunate to have these outlets at my disposal, and my goal is to make them equally accessible to others.

Get in touch! hello@leaklaue.com