Flurina Gradin graduated in Design at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and worked as a journalist and communications expert as well as for the artists-in-labs program ail and the Master in Transdisciplinary Studies. Until 2017 she has been studying in the department of environmental sciences at the ZHAW Wädenswil with a focus on urban ecology and biodiversity. Currently she works at the University of St. Gallen as a senior researcher at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in the field of Environmental Humanities, and at the ZHdK she is a lecturer in design theory and ecology. 

With her company Wild Spots (www.wildspots.ch) Flurina is committed to engage for resilient ecosystems and the promotion of biodiversity in urban areas. Her work and research focuses on the frameworks of socio-ecological and ecocultural environments and the mobilisation of diverse, culturally shaped ways in which different stakeholder engage with biodiversity and ecosystems in urban habitats.

Fields of activity include educational, consulting and publication formats, as well as applied research projects that reflect and discourse the historical, conceptual and epistemological dimensions of biodiversity at the intersection of the design of everyday culture and practice-oriented implementations. Flurina's design and research practice is characterized by a strong transdisciplinary approach including a network of collaborators from architecture, the natural sciences, the cultural sciences, the humanities and the arts.

Unruly Natures (2020-present)

“Unruly Natures” is an ongoing multi-year collaborative international research project and network in Critical Sustainability Studies.  The aim is to study socio-natural subjectivities, promote transdisciplinary conversations, and organize innovative ecopolitical initiatives.