Offering a counterpoint to the world’s current state of conflict, this theme engages with and reflects upon the various potentials of affection, exploring new modes of relationality that are at once intimate and social, dismantling conventional divisions of public and private, and embracing ideas of interdependence and the richness of multi-perspective experience.

The Radio Lab is a project by Deutschlandfunk Kultur – Hörspiel / Klangkunst and CTM Festival in collaboration with ORF Ö1 Kunstradio, and the sound art initiative tekhnė, which is co-funded by the Creative Union programme of the European Union. The two winning projects will premiere at CTM 2025, with subsequent radio broadcasts via Deutschlandfunk Kultur and ORF in spring and autumn 2025 respectively.

A dual experience at the borders of safety and struggle

»Sonic Forces«

Yara Mekawei blends recordings from Egypt’s borders with Palestine, Libya, and Sudan with live sound manipulation to navigate the complex emotions surrounding affection in the face of both internal and external conflict.

The transformative power of music

»Resonant Resilience«

Lynn Nandar Htoo and rEmPiT g0dDe$$ fuse personal and political narratives to underscore the role of music as a means of resistance, resilience, and healing for displaced and queer people in Southeast Asia. Their fusion of recorded soundscapes and instruments with digital elements will be enhanced by visuals from the filmmaker Gabriel Htoo and visual artist Sarah Hanan.

Radio Lab 2025 theme

Affection

Read about this year's Radio Lab theme.