Radio Re:volt

In today’s crazy world, it’s sometimes so hard to find the truth and spot deception. The lack of democracy in many countries is undermining freedom of speech. Especially with the advent of AI, it’s become easy to manipulate people. We traveled to Florence for festival „The Voices“ to figure out how, in today’s reality, we can become a media outlet our listeners can trust, how to use AI for good rather than harm, and how to avoid accidentally becoming a foreign agent. Intrigued? Then tune in to Radio Re:volt, and I’ll tell you all about it in detail. This episode features lots of interviews, workshop clips, and plenty of other interesting content.

In this collaboration between Radio Helsinki and HALLE FÜR KUNST Steiermark, we recorded a workshop inside the current exhibitions of Eva Ursprung and Susanne Wenger. Together with participants, we explored the artworks directly in the exhibition space and produced material for this radio program.


The recordings begin with a guided tour led by Caro, introducing both exhibitions. Afterwards, participants chose artworks that caught their attention and we discussed them together — sharing perspectives, questions, and critical reflections that emerged while encountering the works.


Eva Ursprung is an Austrian artist, musician, and curator whose feminist and socially critical practice moves across media such as installation, performance, and sound. In her exhibition The Art of Surfacing, the element of water becomes a central metaphor for ecological crises, transformation, and collective resistance.


Susanne Wenger (1915–2009), born in Graz, was a key Austrian artist of the post-war period and an early figure connected to Surrealism. Her work combines sculpture, painting, and drawing with spirituality and Yorùbá mythology, reflecting the decades she spent living and working in Nigeria.


If you’re curious to experience the works yourself, you can visit the exhibitions till 19.04.2026 at HALLE FÜR KUNST Steiermark — admission is free.

In our previous episode, we explored the democratic characteristics of Israel’s political system, examined the recent judicial reform initiatives, and discussed the complex relationship between democracy in Israel and the occupation of the West Bank. We also reflected on the broader question of whether and how a lasting peace between Israel and Palestine might be achieved.


In this episode, we continue that conversation by turning to the legal dimension of the proposed judicial overhaul. I am joined by a senior distinguished law professor from Reichman University, who offers an in-depth analysis from a constitutional and institutional perspective. Together, we examine the broader political climate in which these reforms have emerged, including the rise of polarisation and populism within Israeli politics.


We also discuss the internal democratic functioning of Israeli political parties, the political motivations driving the judicial overhaul, and the structural changes it proposes. Finally, we consider the wider implications of these reforms—how they may reshape democratic governance within the country, alter the balance of power among state institutions, and ultimately affect the current state of democracy in Israel.

More countries around the world are shifting away from liberal democracies toward electoral democracies. This process of democratic erosion has already been experienced in some European countries and is currently turning into a global phenomenon.


Israel is one of the few countries in the Middle East where free and fair elections are still in place, and the judicial system has traditionally preserved its impartiality. Until 2023, Israel had been defined as a liberal democracy since 1973. However, in 2024, the V-Dem Democracy Report changed Israel’s status from a liberal democracy to an electoral democracy.


At Radio Revolt, we are starting a new series of shows aimed at understanding the reasons behind democratic backsliding in Israel, with contributions from scholars, jurists, and ordinary citizens. In this series, we will examine why such a significant change has occurred in the country.


In this episode, I invited Professor Raphael Cohen-Almagor, a prominent Israeli academic, to provide an overview of democratic backsliding. He discusses the characteristics of Israeli democracy, recent judicial reforms, the relationship between democracy in Israel and the occupation of the West Bank, and, finally, how peace between Palestine and Israel might be possible.