Researcher and curator Karin Christof holds a PhD from the University of Amsterdam in Cultural Studies and Sociology on how civic actors shape contemporary living environments. Her work focuses on citizens who engage with collectively owned co-working and living spaces. Her interests lie at the intersection of civic engagement, collaborative urban development, the right to the city, and social movements — and in the citizens and initiatives navigating between civic, market, and government interests. Trained as an architect and artist in Vienna, Amsterdam, and London, she has worked in visual arts and architecture since 2000.

Christof has collaborated with organisations such as the Academy of Architecture Amsterdam, BAK Basecamp for Tactical Imaginaries, DesignArbeid, and the Faculty of Cultural Studies at the University of Amsterdam. Prior to her PhD, she directed art and architecture initiatives, alongside educational activities.