²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp

We Are Connected Through Trees: New Frontiers of Biophilia

Part of City in Green: A Forum on Nature, Art, and Urban Wellbeing

Presented in Collaboration with Therme US

This panel brings together artists, designers, and scientists to explore the impact of nature on human wellbeing from diverse perspectives. Hosted by Therme US, the panel will discuss cutting-edge projects that are reinvigorating our relationship to the natural world—from experiments in biophilic design, community-led forest bathing and radical art installations that “rewild” our built environment.

Anjan Chatterjee, Professor, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania

Precious Okoyomon, Artist

Sara Zewde, Founding Principal, Studio Zewde

Robert Hammond, President & Chief Strategy Officer, Therme US.

Ana Ka’ahanui, Forest Therapy Guide and Co-Founder of the DC metro area nonprofit Capital Nature

Anjan Chatterjee, MD, FAAN

Professor, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania

Anjan Chatterjee is Professor of Neurology, Psychology, and Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania and the founding director of the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics. He received his BA in Philosophy from Haverford College, MD from the University of Pennsylvania and completed his neurology residency at the University of Chicago. The past Chair of Neurology at Pennsylvania Hospital, Dr. Chatterjee’s research addresses neuroaesthetics, spatial cognition, language, and neuroethics. He wrote The Aesthetic Brain: How we evolved to desire beauty and enjoy art and co-edited Brain, Beauty, and Art: Bringing Neuroaesthetics in Focus as well as Neuroethics in Practice: Mind, Medicine, and Society, and The Roots of Cognitive Neuroscience: Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychology. His editorial services have included: American Journal of Bioethics: Neuroscience, Behavioral Neurology, Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, Creativity Research Journal, Empirical Studies of the Arts, European Neurology, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, Journal of NeuroPhilosophy, European Neurology, Neuropsychology, and The Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts. He received the Norman Geschwind Prize in Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology from the American Academy of Neurology, the Rudolph Arnheim Prize for contributions to Psychology and the Arts from the American Psychological Association, and the Leadership in Innovation Award from the Global Wellness Institute. Dr. Chatterjee is a founding member of the Board of Governors of the Neuroethics Society, the past President of the International Association of Empirical Aesthetics, and the Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Society. He serves on the board of The Global Wellness Institute and has served on the boards of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, Haverford College, the Norris Square Neighborhood Project, and the Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Precious Okoyomon

Artist

Okoyomon’s solo exhibitions have been shown at the Aspen Art Museum and at Performance Space New York in 2021; at the Museum für Moderne Kunst in Frankfurt in 2020; and at the Luma Westbau in Zurich in 2018. In 2022, Precious Okoyomon participated in the 59th Biennale di Venezia and the 58th Belgrade Biennale, as well as in group exhibitions at Luma Arles in 2022 and Palais de Tokyo, Paris, in 2021. Okoyomon realized performances commissioned by the Serpentine Galleries and the Institute of Contemporary Art, both in London in 2019. The artist’s second book, But Did U Die?, will be co-published by the Serpentine Galleries and Wonder Press in 2024. Okoyomon is the recipient of the 2021 Frieze Art Fair Artist Award and the 2021 Chanel Next Prize.

Sara Zewde

Founding Principal, Studio Zewde

Sara Zewde is founding principal of Studio Zewde, a design firm in New York City practicing landscape architecture, urbanism, and public art. Named to Architectural Digest's AD100 and an Emerging Voice by the Architectural League of New York, the firm is celebrated for its design methods that sync culture, ecology, and craft. In parallel with practice, Sara serves as Assistant Professor of Practice at Harvard University Graduate School of Design and is currently writing a book on her research retracing Frederick Law Olmsted's journeys through the Slave South. Sara holds a master’s of landscape architecture from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, a master’s of city planning from MIT, and a BA in sociology and statistics from Boston University. 

Robert Hammond

President & Chief Strategy Officer, Therme US

Robert Hammond is the President and Chief Strategy Officer for Therme Group US. Robert comes to Therme after serving for over two decades as Co-Founder and Executive Director of the High Line, where he led the transformation of an abandoned elevated railway line in Manhattan into an iconic urban park. Under his leadership, the High Line grew to become one of the most beloved public spaces in the United States, attracting eight million annual visitors annually with its innovative design, public art program, and community programming. Inspiring adaptive reuse projects around the world, he also created the High Line Network to foster community and share best practices among leaders of other infrastructure renewal projects.  He was also instrumental in building youth and educational partnerships to engage young New Yorkers as environmental stewards and civic leaders. He has won over two dozen national and international awards for his work. A certified Vedic meditation teacher, Robert has served as a consultant or advisor for myriad companies and organizations, including the Times Square Alliance, Alliance for the Arts, and the National Cooperative Bank. He served as an ex-officio member of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Board of Trustees, as well as Liberty Expedia, a formerly publicly traded travel company.  He currently serves on the boards for Little Island, Grounded Solutions Network, and the San Antonio Museum of Art.

Ana Ka’ahanui

Forest Therapy Guide and Co-Founder of the DC metro area nonprofit Capital Nature

Ana Leilani Ka’ahanui is Co-Founder of the DC metro area nonprofit Capital Nature. Her organization’s mission is to connect the people and visitors of the DC area to the abundance of nature in the region. She has been a forest bathing guide since 2020 through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs and is devoted to sharing this nature-based mindfulness practice throughout the DC region. Her love for trees, as a dendrophile, extends to sharing her knowledge and experiences as a Virginia Master Naturalist. This includes leading tree identification and nature observation walks. Engaging in citizen science initiatives such as the global City Nature Challenge allows her to contribute to a broader understanding of her community’s biodiversity. Ana is also an experienced tour leader for biophilic and sustainability-based projects. She has worked at the U.S. Green Building Council since 2003 in various capacities that connect people to the green world. Ana is passionate about using the natural and built environment as a tool for learning and healing.

Patrons who make advanced reservations can pick up their tickets at the REACH Box Office on the day of the screening beginning one hour before the event when the REACH Box Office is open. Print your email confirmation/voucher at home and present it to the REACH Box Office, or show us your email confirmation/voucher at the REACH Box Office on your smart device.

Tickets that have not been claimed by 15 minutes prior, on the day of the performance will be released and distributed to a giveaway line. This is a first come first serve event; a Reservation Confirmation does not guarantee you a seated ticket to the performance. Please arrive one hour before the event to exchange your confirmation email/voucher at the REACH Box Office for a ticket to be seated in the Justice Forum.