About Suzanne.

Suzanne Rastovac is a historian (BA/MA), curator and advisor specialized in the colonial history of the Netherlands and Indonesia. She does this mainly with Beyond Walls, a collective she founded with Jeremy Flohr, Armando Ello and Glenda Pattipeilohy.

The combination of history, arts and (visual) storytelling is key to her work. Based on co-creating and a transdisciplinary approach she works on research and art projects to contribute to a more complete and inclusive understanding of our history and its afterlives in todays’s world. She collaborated with many different partners such as the World Museum in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, Het Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Museum, City of Eindhoven, National Committee 4 and 5 May, Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV), National Archives, Erasmushuis Jakarta, University of Amsterdam, Van Abbemuseum and more. She also enjoys moderating programs on important topics like 25 Years after Srebrenica, by Read My World. Suzanne is currently advisor Talent development at the Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie.

Her background lies in colonial history and International Relations (BA and MA) with a specialization in colonial and contemporary history of Indonesia and Southeast Asia. She lived in Malaysia where she completed a minor postcolonial studies at the Universiti Sains Malaysia. In Ambon she worked on art education projects and filmed a documentary on the role of poetry and arts in the reconciliation proces after the 1999-2002 conflict. Before starting independently she developed and curated public program series and multidisciplinary projects centering topics on colonlalism, war, slavery, collective memory and representation like Gepeperd Verleden, Blind Spots and Huizen van Aankomst at the Indies Heritage Center. Additionally she was responsible for the concept development of inclusive & artistic programming of the annual National Commemoration Day 15th of August that contains of: Talks, public programming, pop-up exhibitions, interview series, artist reflections and social media campaigns.

In 2022 she completed the Maria Lugones Decolonial Summer School. Centering theory and practice on (de)coloniality and afterlives of European colonialism from a diversity of scholars from the Global South.

Expertise: • concept development • historical research • (international) collaborations • public history • community-based partnerships • advice •  museum programming • project management • visual storytelling •  directing & producing