Presenting — Sabotage: The Splat 🥫🖼️

Presenting — Sabotage: The Splat 🥫🖼️

From WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT? by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

October 24, 2025 · 38 min · Season 3 · Episode 8

About this episode

This episode features the first episode of the climate podcast Sabotage, exploring the motivations behind a notable climate protest involving a Van Gogh painting.

Almost exactly three years ago (Oct 14, 2022) a couple of climate activists hurled tomato soup at Vincent Van Gogh’s painting “Sunflowers.” It got a whole bunch of press. Do you remember this? Did you ever look into who did it and why? Well, this week on the What If We Get It Right? podcast, we’re gonna get to the bottom of it. I’m sharing the first episode of the climate podcast Sabotage : “The Splat.” Season 1 of this fascinating investigative show, tells the story of the people behind the climate activism group Just Stop Oil . Co-hosted by Alessandra Ram and Samantha Oltman, the show asks: How radical is radical when it comes to climate activism right now? And it all starts with the splat heard round the world — that tomato soup splashing all over the painting’s glass and frame and the wood floor in London’s National Gallery. I hope you enjoy this episode of Sabotage as much as I did. Subscribe! Their season 2 is dropping soon... _____ I’ll be back with a new interview episode next week. In the meantime, my call to action for you: VOTE CLIMATE ✅ Election day in the U.S. is November 4th . For the love of all that is good, please vote. Check details for your polling place and…

People in this episode

Host: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

Topics covered

  • climate activism
  • investigative journalism
  • art and protest
  • Just Stop Oil
  • sabotage
  • political action

Keywords

  • climate activism
  • Just Stop Oil
  • Van Gogh
  • sabotage
  • tomato soup
  • protest
  • art
  • investigation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Just Stop Oil

Books & works: Sunflowers

Places: London

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