This photo is part of the group exhibition “The Unlived Side” from July 4 to August 1, 2026, at Forderzimmer in Berlin-Pankow.
Curated by Lara Wilde and Lilith Terra, the exhibition explores those parts of the self that remain hidden: unlived possibilities, discarded decisions, repressed impulses, and inner parallel lives.
What if we were the sum of all the decisions we never made? From a psychoanalytic perspective, “the unlived side” refers to aspects of the self that remain in shadow — out of fear of rejection, shame, or because they do not fit into one's ideal self-image. From a systemic point of view, the unlived often appears as a tribute to origin, family, and social expectations: impulses are held back in order not to endanger belonging, loyalty, or recognition.
The exhibition looks at fractures within biographies, the masks of everyday life, and longings that often become perceptible only in the spaces in between. The works on view make visible what was never decided, never spoken, or never lived — and yet continues to have an effect. “We are interested in complexity,” say the curators. Each group exhibition at Forderzimmer begins with an open invitation to engage deeply with a specific theme. For Wilde and Terra, this process is also the starting point for their own photographic exploration. Over several months, diverse artistic positions emerge and are eventually brought together in a shared exhibition. “The Unlived Side” is the third group exhibition at Forderzimmer and brings together photographic works that engage with the hidden, the repressed, and the possible. The exhibition opens up a space for inner counter-narratives, unspoken desires, and those parallel selves that quietly continue to exist in the background of our lives.