Monika Stobiecka

Monika Stobiecka is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Artes Liberales, University of Warsaw, specializing in the intersection of archaeology, museum studies, and critical heritage theory. Her work bridges traditional archaeological practice with contemporary theoretical approaches, particularly focusing on how artifacts transform into exhibits and how museums represent the past.

She completed her Master's degrees in Art History (2014) and Archaeology (2015) at the University of Warsaw, followed by a doctorate in cultural and religious studies summa cum laude in 2019. Her academic journey includes research internships at Stanford Archaeology Center under Ian Hodder (2018) and UiT The Arctic University of Norway with Bjørnar Olsen (2022).

Stobiecka's research interests span museum studies, critical heritage studies, cultural studies of things, theory and methodology of archaeology, and the intersection of contemporary art with archaeological practice. She has pioneered concepts like 'lively heritage' that challenge traditional museum approaches by incorporating more-than-human perspectives and emphasizing the vitality of heritage sites through multispecies interactions.

Her extensive publication record shows a clear trajectory toward examining heritage in the Anthropocene, digital archaeology, and the materiality of contemporary social movements. Recent works focus on precarious heritage, the relationship between technocracy and cultural preservation, and how empty spaces function as heritage sites. Her scholarship demonstrates increasing engagement with posthumanist frameworks and critical examinations of digital heritage practices.

• Lanckoroński Foundation Scholarship (2016)
• Kościuszko Foundation Scholarship (2018)
• START Scholarship of the Foundation for Polish Science (2019)
• Rev. Prof. Szczęsny Dettloff Award for best doctoral dissertation (2019)
• Polityka Scientific Award Finalist in Humanities (2020)
• Anna Zeidler-Janiszewska Award for best debut book (2021)
• Minister's Scholarship for Outstanding Young Researchers (2023)

Stobiecka leads significant research projects including 'Contemporary Art as a Strategy for Digital Archaeology' (Sonata, National Science Centre, 2025-) and previously managed the 'Modern Techniques of Documenting Archaeological Research' project (Diamond Grant, 2014-2016). She serves as member of the Academy of Young Scholars, Polish Academy of Sciences (2022-2026), co-founder of the East-Central European Committee of the Association of Critical Heritage Studies (since 2023), and member of the UNESCO Chair on Intangible Heritage in Public and Global Governance (from 2024).

Her scholarly work centers on reimagining museum practices through critical archaeological perspectives, with particular attention to how digital technologies reshape heritage representation and how multispecies interactions transform our understanding of archaeological sites. She challenges conventional boundaries between nature and culture in heritage contexts.