Where do the roots of the anti-democratic politics of right-wing populism lie? Alex Wissel has been exploring this question in his art for several years, shedding light on different facets of the topic. Specifically for the exhibition at the Kunstverein Bielefeld, he has developed installations that bring the significant sociologist and philosopher Jürgen Habermas into focus. In his theory of communicative action, Habermas argues that the best argument prevails – solely through persuasion and without any external coercion. Wissel now compares this line of thought with our present, in which billionaires like Peter Thiel or Elon Musk push their neo-reactionary ideas to the forefront. They no longer see freedom as part of democracy, but advocate for a completely privatized public sphere – Habermas would describe them as a "destroyed public sphere".