Rhizomatiks

Rhizomatiks is the Tokyo-based studio of Daito Manabe — one of the most technically advanced artist-run research laboratories in the world. Their practice sits at the extreme intersection of computation, robotics, biology, and performance, consistently producing work that operates at technological frontiers that other studios have not yet reached.

Their ongoing collaboration with the dance company ELEVENPLAY (directed by Mikiko) has produced some of the most astonishing live performances of the last decade: works in which dancers’ brainwave data is captured via EEG and used in real-time to drive the music, lighting, and visual systems of the performance. Sound and light emerge from the dancers’ neural activity — not as metaphor, but as direct data flow.

The studio’s drone work — including widely-shared performances at the Super Bowl and Perfume concert tours — has set standards for precision and safety in indoor drone choreography that the entire field has adopted. Their 5G and low-latency research continues to push the boundaries of what “live” performance can mean when physical presence and digital infrastructure are intertwined.

In 2026, Rhizomatiks operates as both a commercial studio and a research institute, with academic collaborations across Japan and internationally.