If architecture is the art of space, then apart from constructional necessity it also has the utilitarian and sociological dimension. It deals with the search for balance between the utilitarian, collective and artistic aspects, which, besides painting and sculpture, are expressed maybe only in architecture. When speaking of art in the general meaning of the word, we speak about the expression of time, sometimes of the moment, in which the man or the mental image of civilisation exists. “Architecture is a kind of a social sculpture.”

Apolonija Šušteršič (born in 1965 in Ljubljana) is an architect and artist whose creations are a result of interweaving architecture and art. She deals with the dialogue between the man and the space, as a sociological and psychological generator of the contemporary society. Her space is not filled with abstract installations, these are not sculptural volumes; the space is concrete, programs clear, although their relations are sometimes paradoxical.

ORIS: You live between Ljubljana and Amsterdam. How do these two cities influence your work?

Šušteršič: My bonds to Ljubljana as my place of birth are first of all emotional. Amsterdam, on the other hand, is a city where I have met during my study of art at Rijksakademie many people who are very dear to me and where I might find it easier to start a dialogue with somebody interested in the similar field of art activities. Basically, these are two dimensions that interweave constantly throughout my life. On the other hand, it is very important that your working environment can understand and live the work of art.