Lauren Reid

Lauren Reid is a researcher, curator, and educator specializing in Social and Cultural Anthropology, with a focus on the Social Studies of Outer Space (SSOS), Indigenous cosmopolitics, and science and technology studies (STS). She holds a PhD from Freie Universität Berlin, where she is affiliated with the Institute for Social and Cultural Anthropology within the Department of Political and Social Sciences. Currently, she serves as a guest researcher at Leuphana University's Center of Methods, teaching qualitative research approaches, and continues her curatorial work as Co-Director of insitu collective.

Reid completed her PhD in Social and Cultural Anthropology from Freie Universität Berlin in 2025, following a Bachelor of Visual Arts (Honours) from Sydney College of the Arts (2007) and a dual Bachelor of Arts (Visual)/Arts from Australian National University (2006). Her academic journey reflects a unique interdisciplinary path that bridges visual arts, anthropology, and curatorial practice.

• Research focuses on cosmic futures, particularly examining how different cultural frameworks interpret space exploration
• Specializes in Thai Buddhist perspectives on space and extraterrestrial life
• Investigates the intersection of scientific practices and religious beliefs in cosmological understanding
• Develops innovative arts-based research methodologies for anthropological inquiry
• Examines how colonial narratives shape contemporary space exploration discourse

Her publications reveal a consistent trajectory exploring cosmic imaginaries through multiple lenses, particularly contrasting Western 'frontier' narratives with alternative cosmological frameworks. The most recent work demonstrates increasing sophistication in analyzing how religious frameworks (particularly Thai Buddhism) inform approaches to space exploration, moving beyond simple dichotomies between science and religion to explore more complex entanglements. Her research consistently challenges Eurocentric narratives of space exploration while developing new methodological approaches for studying cosmic engagement.

Reid's teaching practice spans both academic and professional domains, with significant experience at Node Centre for Curatorial Studies (2012-2024) and Leuphana University (2024-2025), where she develops courses on visual culture, multimodal ethnography, and curatorial practice. Her exhibition work, particularly through insitu collective, demonstrates a commitment to creating immersive experiences that translate complex theoretical concepts into accessible public formats, with notable projects including 'Beyond the Final Frontier' (2019) on cosmic futures in Thailand and 'Corridor I: Onkalo' (2016) exploring nuclear waste repositories.

Her curatorial practice forms a significant dimension of her scholarly contribution, with exhibitions developed as 'fictional characters' that create immersive environments exploring psychological states and conceptual frameworks. These projects demonstrate her innovative approach to knowledge production that bridges academic research and public engagement through visual and spatial storytelling.