Knowhow

Ryota Matsumoto is a leading new media artist and educator in Japan and he is known as one of the progenitors of the postdigital art movement.
Born in Tokyo, he was raised in Hong Kong, New York and Japan. He received a Master of Architecture degree from University of Pennsylvania in 2007 after his studies at Architectural Association in London, Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow School of Art and University of Miami in early 90’s. He has previously collaborated with a cofounder of the Metabolist Movement, Kisho Kurokawa, and with Arata Isozaki, Peter Christopherson, Cesar Pelli and MIT Media Lab before establishing his office.
As a designer and consultant of Nihon Seikei Inc. and Japanese railway, he has worked on high-profile projects including Kyushu University Ito Campus masterplan(2003-2005), Shinjuku redevelopment project in Tokyo(2009-2012), Bach Mai hospital in Hanoi(2000) and Qingdao mixed-use development in China(2011).
He has presented his work on posthumanism, multidisciplinary design and visual culture at the 5th symposium of the Imaginaries of the Future at Cornell University, the Espaciocenter workshop at TEA Tenerife Espacio de las Artes, Oslo National Academy of the Arts, UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts, iDMAa Conference 2017 and NTT InterCommunication Center as a literary critic and artist.
As a video producer, he has worked with Peter Christopherson of Coil and Hipgnosis for Japanese Nike commercial and contributed to the promotional projects for his first solo album as Threshold Houseboys Choir.
His academic career started as a teaching assistant for architectural historian, Vincent Joseph Scully Jr. and his seminar, the Natural and Manmade in 1993.
During his visiting fellowship at the Glasgow school of Art, he has been engaged in research on the process of integrated urban regeneration under the guidance of Giancarlo De Carlo and Isi Metzstein. He continued his pursuit in urban studies and participated in seminal research projects with MIT Media Lab and KieranTimberlake exploring high-rise modular housing, sustainability and design interventions for Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2005.
He has served as the MFA advisor of Transart institute, University of Plymouth and teaches at Asagaya Institute of Art and Design as a director of Hybrid Media Research Lab.
Matsumoto is a research associate at the New Centre of Research & Practice found by Mohammad Salemy, Jason Adams and Reza Negarestani.
He has been active as a guest critic on design reviews at Cornell University, Cooper Union, Columbia GSAPP, Rhode Island School of Design and Pratt Institute.