Dr. Koert van Mensvoort MSc MFA is a Dutch artist and philosopher, best known for developing the concept of Next Nature—the idea that technology has become so complex, widespread and autonomous that it now behaves like a nature of its own. His work explores how humans and technology are evolving together, with the aim to find a future that benefits both people and the planet.
Van Mensvoort began his career in the late 1980s creating video games, as part of the first generation of digital natives who are now no longer kids. In the 1990s, he broadened his focus to include computer science, philosophy, and art. He holds an MSc in Computer Science from Eindhoven University of Technology (1997), an MFA from the Sandberg Institute (2000), and a PhD in Industrial Design from Eindhoven University of Technology (2009).
He works across media to bring his ideas to life. Among his projects are the traveling NANO Supermarket, featuring speculative products based on nanotechnology; the internet-connected Datafountain, which links currency exchange rates to flowing water; the documentary Daddy! The Woods Smell of Shampoo; the Fake for Real memory game; the fictional bio-design company Rayfish.com, which sparked global debate about biotechnology; Bistro In Vitro, a speculative restaurant exploring the future of lab-grown meat; and the VR Time Machine, an immersive experience that lets users fly while journeying into the distant future through virtual reality.
Van Mensvoort is the author of several books, including Next Nature: Why Technology is our Natural Future, Save the Humans, Pyramid of Technology, What You See Is What You Feel, Natuur 2.0, and The In Vitro Meat Cookbook—the world’s first cookbook on lab-grown meat and its cultural implications.
He is a sought-after speaker and has given over 400 lectures around the world. His work has been featured in international media such as The Guardian, Wired, Fast Company, and Huffington Post, as well as on television programs including ABC News, VPRO Tegenlicht, RTL Koffietijd, NOS News, FOX News, and Klokhuis. In 2014, he received a Dutch Design Award for his innovative work.
Van Mensvoort is the founder and director of Next Nature, a 21st-century nature organization that aims to go forward—not back—to nature. In 2022, he reopened the iconic Evoluon building in Eindhoven as the Next Nature Museum, after it had been closed to the general public for more than thirty years. He also serves as Next Nature Fellow at Eindhoven University of Technology and is a member of the Society of Arts at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Earlier in his career, Van Mensvoort worked as a researcher at the Center for User-System Interaction (1998–2003), taught at the Sandberg Institute (2002–2006), served on the supervisory board of VPRO broadcasting (2015–2021), and was Visionary in Residence at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena (2008).