Girls to the Right, Boys to the Left
From September 5 to September 20, 2026, as part of the Homo Novus festival, the exhibition “Girls to the Right, Boys to the Left” by artists Sodja Zupanc Lotker and Tadeáš Říha (Czech Republic) will be on view in the third-floor lobby of the main building of the Latvian National Museum of Art (Jaņa Rozentāla laukums 1, Riga).
Am I too fat? Am I too sensitive? Where do I even fit in? Am I good enough? Will anyone ever love me just as I am? These questions haunt us from a very early age – the moment we first encounter the judging eyes of the world around us.
Stepping into public life means facing the gaze of others for the very first time. School hallways and gym locker rooms are often the first battlegrounds where we experience bullying, ridicule, or rejection because of our appearance, our bodies, our physical abilities, or our identity. These are spaces governed by rigid rules, where we are taught what our bodies should or shouldn’t look like, and what they can or cannot do. All too often, they are also spaces where abuse happens out of sight. Yet, the presence of adults is no guarantee of safety – in so many cases, the bullying unfolds right in front of them, met only by silence.
“Girls to the Right, Boys to the Left” is a theater installation that asks us not to look away from these stories, but to truly listen. It brings together fragments of documentary testimonies, carrying the voices of real people. Here, teenagers and adults share their experiences – not only of being judged, excluded, or humiliated, but also of the immense courage it takes to accept oneself, to find support, and to discover a true sense of dignity and belonging.
The exhibition is designed as a theatrical environment where everyday scales and preconceptions are deliberately distorted. The nearly six-meter-tall puppets represent the protagonists of these stories. Each one has a name, and visitors are invited to linger, sit down beside them, listen to the audio narratives, and, if they wish, write down their own stories. We ask you to take your time and avoid rushing to judgment. Sometimes, simply listening and spending time together is the very first step toward understanding a problem and finding a solution.
This exhibition may evoke powerful emotions. It features testimonies of violence, bullying, and rejection, but also of acceptance, love, and friendship. You might recognize aspects of your own experience in them. Perhaps you will encounter things you have long refused to face, or discover something entirely new. If you are experiencing emotional distress and there is no one nearby you can talk to or ask for help, please call one of the crisis helplines listed below.
The installation was created by dramaturg Sodja Zupanc Lotker and architect Tadeáš Říha. It premiered at the City of Prague Museum, while the Latvian edition is produced by the International Festival of Contemporary Theatre Homo Novus. This exhibition is enriched with local stories of bullying, collected in collaboration with the online magazine Satori.
This exhibition may evoke powerful emotions. Recommended for audiences aged 10 and over.
If you are experiencing a crisis and need support, you can contact the Skalbes Crisis and Counselling Centre’s 24/7 helpline at +371 27722292 / +371 67222922, the 24/7 Children and Adolescents Helpline at 116006, or the The Child and Adolescent Resource Centre’s mental health support line at +371 25737363 (weekdays from 12:00 to 19:00).
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