I am a Research Scientist specializing in law and culture at the University of Luxembourg and an Associated Member at the Centre Georg Simmel, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS). Currently I am pursuing my habilitation under the supervision of Rainer Maria Kiesow.

My research focuses on the dialectical interplay between symbolic and imaginary foundations and technological progress, with a particular emphasis on blockchain technology. I investigate the epistemological underpinnings of blockchain-driven legal and societal innovations, such as code-governed decentralized organizations, virtual property, and decentralized justice platforms. My work examines how these technologies reshape our understanding of law, governance, and subjectivity.

A key element of my academic journey has been translating Pierre Legendre’s work and completing a doctoral thesis on his oeuvre. These experiences allowed me to integrate my interdisciplinary background in law, legal philosophy, and German and French Studies into a research approach that combines philosophy with legal, media, and cultural theory. Research stays at the Institut d’Études Avancées in Nantes (2018-2019) and at the Weizenbaum Institute in Berlin (2022) have provided valuable opportunities to deepen and refine this approach.

My interdisciplinary research has resulted in numerous scholarly publications and media appearances, including contributions to Le Monde, Revue Esprit and France Culture. Additionally, I have been invited to provide policy advice to prominent institutions, including the Foresight Center of the European Commission, the Federal Council for Sustainable Development in Belgium, and the Paris Bar Association.

Full CV>>

 
 

Research Interests

My research is guided by the following core questions, which explore the intersections of law, culture and technology: 
  • How does the individual become a subject within societal structures? To what extent is it entangled in rigid normative frameworks, and how can it either break free from them or actively shape these structures? What roles do language, law, and technology play in these dynamics of agency and constraint?
  • How are legal and cultural paradigms of binding and authority transforming in light of increasing trans- and international networks, as well as decentralisation efforts? What does this mean for the traditional frameworks of governance and societal cohesion?
  • What impact does digitalisation have on social dynamics and the institutional fabric of our society? How does the pursuit of more autonomous, virtually based, and disembodied forms of life influence the foundations of our culture and concepts of subjectivity? Does this shift lead to a dissolution of traditional social contexts, or does it give rise to new forms of community and novel social bonds?
  • What are the ideological underpinnings and the cultural and legal implications of blockchain technology? To what extent will it transform the legal landscape? What do its aspirations for „decentralised justice“ and „self-sovereign identity“ signify for the traditional functioning and foundational principles of our legal and cultural system? What are the inherent risks of these developments?
  • What roles do the body, materiality, and nature play in all this?

Current research projects >>

Publications (selection)

Complete list of publications >>