Why are more and more states building walls, even as globalization and digital connectivity have long been heralded as a world without borders? American political scientist Wendy Brown delves into this paradoxical development in her award-winning book. A U.S. president promising to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico; right-wing populist parties seeking to secure the "Fortress Europe" against refugees; massive wall construction projects between Israel and Palestine, South Africa and Zimbabwe, India and Pakistan, or Iraq and Saudi Arabia: a new form of isolationism is gaining traction worldwide, even though the extent of global connectivity makes it seem illusory to believe that simply building a wall can solve contemporary problems. For Brown, these new walls resemble theatrical productions and are a form of expression.