Separating the tamed human settlement from the uncertain and the menace of the wild, the forest evolved in the archaic culture to be a space detached from social and political structures. The dreaded obscure land became a vehicle for power consolidation of the village and self-assurance of its protective norms. However, as a constantly changing projection space for wishes, fantasies and fears, the forest morphed into a symbol of allure. The pathless and horizonless territory provides the framework for rites of passing, initiation, and affiliation. Fairy tale heroes entering the woodland traverse a liminal zone which Arnold Van Gennep describes as a state of floating between two spheres — a moment and a place of crisis where the laws known so far do not apply. This causes a sense of disorientation that paradoxically brings about new perspectives, identities and knowledge. For the hero it constitutes a turning point in life and the transition to new ways of comprehending society and (maybe) the scrutiny of its values. Through “Vor einem großen Walde” I explore the human limitations highlighted by the mystification of the forest and its role as a socio-cultural phenomenon. Trees can be seen as the epitome of transcendence: they reach far back into the past and will continue to grow and constantly change into the future. They contrast the evanescence of human life and also enclose the development of inner conflicts. Surrounded by huge forests man experiences his limitations, but also his ability for doubting and the power this entails. By familiarising myself with the unknown, I reflect on the forest as one of the last refuges for human imagination: a place yet to become.