Sarah Helena Keller

Credentials: 

BA Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Zürich,

Brief Bio:

Sarah is a Swiss-based social anthropologist, artist and translator. Her unconventional upbringing has shaped her into an agile individual with a multicultural perspective, fluent in six languages, having lived in 11 countries during her formative years. She has a strong financial, educational and cultural background and 7 years of professional experience. As a Transaction Officer at responsAbility, a global leader in sustainable investments (green energy transition, microfinance and sustainable food), she coordinated and executed Trade Finance investments for agricultural companies in Sub-saharan Africa. Her role included helping grantees navigate complex organizational workflows across internal and external stakeholders, time zones and divergent interests. In her recent role at collaboratio helvetica, she played a key role in fostering strategic partnerships and fundraising for SDG-related projects in Switzerland, gaining valuable insights into the sustainable development ecosystem. As an anthropologist she is interested in material, visual and design approaches which critically engage with economic anthropology, commodity chain analysis, and sustainability. For her BA thesis she is conducting research in Chiang Mai, Thailand  focusing on how design and entrepreneurial practices mobilize capital for the creative and cultural economy by managing the cultural (and experiential) value associated with products. In her creative journey as a budding learner, she is enthusiastic to cultivate her skills in audio-visual storytelling through practical collaborations. As a painter, collector and curator she aims to combine creativity with compelling short stories, to create colorful and soulful stories about the world we live in. 

Project Abstract:

The audio-visual project aims to explore the possibility of decolonising the aggressive capitalist and technologically driven everyday rhythms that lead to stress in the body, based on an autoethnographic exploration of slow living as a philosophy of life that embraces simplicity and the enjoyment of the present moment. Increased urgency and lack of present-moment awareness alter the trajectory of our capacity to act holistically and authentically. This project aims to explore what it means to slow down and ‘make oneself at home’, as a radical and deeply personal commitment to individual and collective mental health, by engaging with the rich world of sensory perception.

Social Media(s): LinkedIn