Nina Martin
she/they/he, any pronounQueer rhizomatics of monumentalism - Utilising game design for inclusive urban planning
Nina Martin is a Berlin-based social entrepreneur, researcher, creative and design thinker working on socio-critical projects in interdisciplinary collaborations. Nina has been working in the creative economy since 2008, mainly in film and multimedia, culture production, social design and fundraising. With a drive to contribute to participatory platforms for social change, they studied MA New Media and Minor International Design Business Management at Aalto University, Finland, and completed a MA in Communication for Development at Malmö University, Sweden. She currently acts as co-founder, sociocultural and fundraising lead at Oyoun, a cultural organisation centring queer*feminist, neurodivergent, class-critical and decolonial perspectives in Berlin and internationally.
Project
Mapping, the design of urban space and monuments are powerful tools in constructing perceived truths, yet structurally exclude marginalised groups in these processes of history writing and future making. By queering (anti-)monumentalism this project advocates for the pluralist potential across European urban centres. This project initiates the R&D of a participatory, non-linear digital gaming platform for multimodal urban speculation. Games are inherently queer as they facilitate worldbuilding, role-shifting and an identity-first interaction modality. Playing and mapping are both a creative and strategic charting of environmental possibilities and suggest a fitting match to creatively address urban planning challenges. Challenging the idea that pedestals are meant to uphold the victors (or victims) the project proposes a more adaptable, narrative-based, digital approach by bringing together various underinvested participants available for collaborative sessions.
