We tend to think of forests as part of “nature,” but in most cases they are, in fact, highly designed environments whose image and presence run deep in our cultural imagination and shape the way we engage with the world around us. The presentation First the Forests weaves together global narratives across time and space that reimagine forests as meeting points between scientists, land managers, and designers. It explores the unique kinship that exists between forests and spatial design; the forest’s influence on design culture and practice; and the potentials and pitfalls of “forest thinking” for more sustainable and ethical ways of doing architecture today.
Dan Handel is an architect and curator whose work focuses on underexplored ideas, figures, and practices that shape contemporary built environments. Over the past fifteen years, he developed forest related exhibitions and wrote extensively on the subject. His recent book, “Designed Forests: A Cultural History” was published by Routledge in 2025.
