Apolonija Šušteršič
Oslo, Norway · Visual Arts
"Neighbours & Citizens" inauguration, Gävle, Sweden, 2017. Image courtesy of Apolonija Šušteršič.
Apolonija Šušteršič joins the AFIELD Network as a 2026 Peer, recognized for her commitment to community-focused, socially engaged spatial practice.
Based in Oslo, Apolonija is an artist, architect, designer, researcher, writer, cook, and gardener. Driven by a curiosity to explore alternative futures, she uses collaborative, participatory, and research-based processes to examine the relationships between people, spaces, and social structures.
Her practice functions as a response to top-down urban development, engaging with situations of uncertainty and “not-knowing” to address the urgent need for inclusive public spaces.
"Garden Service" workshop with a professional gardener, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2007. Image courtesy of Apolonija Šušteršič.
By bringing together urban planners, sociologists, geographers, curators, and local communities, Apolonija’s work fosters cooperation and creates platforms that encourage participants to reclaim their agency by shaping their shared space and place. Through her projects, she develops forms of knowledge grounded in observation, listening, translation, and making.
A recent example includes NJOKOBOK BAR (Diriyah Biennial 2024, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia), developed in cooperation with Senegalese chef Youssou Diop. Serving medicinal juices and Senegalese tea sourced from a local eco-farm, NJOKOBOK BAR was a dedicated space for social gatherings and storytelling by migrants living and working in Riyadh.
"NJOKOBOK BAR" baristas: Jimboy C.S., Apollonio Jr., Mohammed with Youssou Diop, Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennial, Saudi Arabia, 2024. Courtesy of Apolonija Šušteršič.
Apolonija Šušteršič holds a PhD in Performing and Visual Art from Lund University (Malmö Art Academy) and works as an independent researcher in artistic research, collaborating on several research projects across academia, focusing on social and spatial justice. Her work has been published and exhibited internationally within and beyond major contemporary art institutions, including the Moderna Museet Stockholm, Berlin Biennale 2, Moderna Galerija Ljubljana, the 12th Architecture Biennale in Venice, the Gwangju Biennial (2016), the Timișoara Biennial (2019), and the Diriyah Biennial (2024).
Apolonija Šušteršič. Photo: Matthieu Joffres
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