Introduction

To the degree that we come to understand other organisms, we will place a greater value on them, and on ourselves.—Edward O. Wilson

Over the coming century, the most vital human resource in need of conservation and protection is likely to be our own consciousness and mental space.—Tim Wu

Deep within us lies a profound and enduring urge to connect with nature. The natural environment plays a crucial role in our development, both individual and collective, a link that is as vital today as it ever was. Many religions and Indigenous cultures maintain that humanity is part of nature, that we come from nature, and that the natural world is sacred. Humans have evolved in the company of other life and in a matrix of conditions making this varied existence possible. We continue to rely physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually on the quality and richness of our relationships with the natural environment, particularly the flora of our ecosystems.¹

The eminent American biologist and naturalist Edward O. Wilson coined the term “biophilia” to describe his theory that humans have evolved as beings deeply intertwined with the intricacies of the living world.² In his landmark book Biophilia, Wilson explored how our “innate tendency to focus on life and lifelike processes” could be a biologically based necessity, integral to our development as individuals and as a species.³ This deceivingly romantic and apparently obvious concept conceals complex and universal human needs, and scientific evidence now confirms how the interaction between people and nature is closely linked to our physical, psychological, and cognitive health and well-being.⁴ In a hyper-accelerated digital and urban-centric world, Wilson’s hypothesis implies serious consequences as billions of people become further estranged from the natural environment.

Biophilia: Nature Reimagined is a testament to this enduring connection and underscores the transformative role played by contemporary designers, artists, and architects in rekindling this bond. As we collectively navigate our rapidly changing world, this digital publication and its accompanying exhibition not only recognize and share a reverence for our need to connect with the rhythms of life but also emphasize the contributions of these creative minds in revitalizing our relationship with the natural world. Biophilia: Nature Reimagined calls upon us to heighten our senses, more closely observe the world around us, and engage in cathartic, quiet moments that allow us to breathe amid the complexities of contemporary life.

The COVID-19 pandemic, tragic as it is, has highlighted the innate human desire for connection. It has added a greater sense of urgency to the movement to connect children, families, and communities to nature. According to Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, the pandemic has dramatically increased public awareness of this need.⁵ Louv, a child advocacy expert, is far from alone in this ever-expanding field of psychological health. Numerous studies have verified the mental and physical benefits of spending time in nature, but for some, it took a pandemic for that need to feel like a necessity. The transformative power of nature continues to be critical in the modern-day human health and well-being literature and practice, and it has been strongly identified as a valid concern by the health sciences.⁶

Biophilia: Nature Reimagined is divided into three sections, each serving as a reminder that nature’s principles and pleasures can enrich our lives and reconnect us with our natural environment. “Natural Analogs: Form and Pattern” is a testament to nature’s shapes, structures, and geometries, both living and inanimate. Here, nature’s aesthetic complexities, which conform to simple mathematical laws—the equations that generate patterns, cones and pyramids, spirals and waves, and the topological rules of geometry—find new expressions in a digital age. “Natural Systems: Processes and Phenomena” invites reflection on nature’s dynamic processes and captivating phenomena. These works serve as a bridge between the rhythms of the natural world and the rigidity of the man-made environment, opening our eyes to the intricate beauty and interconnectedness of our planet’s ecosystems. They encourage a sense of wonder and inspire a commitment to preserve and protect our natural world. “Topophilia” delves into the spiritual connection between humanity and the physical environment, highlighting the interplay among people, nature, and place. In his book A Reenchanted World, the sociologist James William Gibson says that such connections mostly have been destroyed in modernity but argues that “more and more people are trying to reinvent them.” ⁷

This catalog presents supplementary content through the written and spoken word that reflects the subject through various practices. Certified nature and forest therapy guide Kimberly Ruffin leads an audio-guided forest walk, sometimes referred to as forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku in Japan. Described as a “walk of faith,” her guided walk invites listeners to engage their senses and witness the world around them. Author and journalist Florence Williams examines nature’s capacity to generate feelings of awe and reveals how art can offer what we once received from the natural world. Poet Cedar Sigo contributes a new poem inspired by the spiritual and material connections between people and their homeland.

As you navigate through this publication, keep in mind that our connection with nature is not a luxury but a necessity. Biophilia: Nature Reimagined reminds us that the path to reconnection is ever-present, and artists, designers, and architects can unveil the wisdom and beauty of the natural world. It is a call to action, urging us to embark on a journey of reconnection with nature, not only for ourselves but for future generations. This is no small thing. Our well-being, our identity, and the survival of our planet depend on it.

Edward O. Wilson, Biophilia (Cambridge and London: Harvard University Press, 1984), 2; Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2016), 350.

1. Given the parameters of this project, I do not address our innate interest in animals. ↩︎

2. Years earlier, the German American psychoanalyst and social theorist Erich Fromm had independently invoked the term “biophilia,” defined as a “passionate love of life and of all that is alive.” According to Fromm, biophilia manifests as the “wish to further growth, whether in a person, a plant, an idea, or a social group.” Fromm used the term to emphasize the importance of nurturing our capacity for love as a foundation for our mental and emotional well-being. Erich Fromm, The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness (New York: Holt, Rinehart & Wilson, 1973), 366. ↩︎

3. Wilson, Biophilia, 1. ↩︎

4. Later, Wilson, together with social ecologist Stephen R. Kellert, published the collection of essays The Biophilia Hypothesis. This theory asserts a human dependence on nature “that extends far beyond the simple issues of material and physical sustenance to encompass as well the human craving for aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive, and even spiritual meaning and satisfaction.” Stephen R. Kellert and Edward O. Wilson, eds., The Biophilia Hypothesis (Washington, DC: Island Press, 1993), 20. ↩︎

5. Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder (Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books, 2005). Louv has coined the term “nature-deficit disorder” to describe how people with limited contact with nature experience increased rates of symptoms, including behavioral disorders, anxiety, and sadness. ↩︎

6. Stephen R. Kellert, Kinship to Mastery: Biophilia in Human Evolution and Development (Washington, DC: Island Press, 1997); Stephen R. Kellert, Birthright: People and Nature in the Modern World (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2014). ↩︎

7. James William Gibson, A Reenchanted World: The Quest for a New Kinship with Nature (New York: Metropolitan Books, 2009), 88. ↩︎