Nico Valdivia Hennig

Cultural Organization

Conferences, public cultural events and community work, in Chile and in California.

Audience selfie at a Río Junto event

Game Studies

Academic Events Organized as Director

  • 2026California Games and Interactive Media Conference. [Co-Director] University of California, Riverside, with support of the Center for Ideas and Society.
  • 2025Latin American Game Studies Conference: The Political Component of Games [Co-Director]. University of California, Riverside, Ludocrítica, & UNIACC, Chile. Forthcoming in January,
  • 2024Critical Game Production Panel with Alenda Chang, Brendan Keogh, and Phillip Penix-Tadsen [Director] University of California, Riverside.
  • 2011First National Congress of Social Sciences and Education [Co-Director]. University of Chile & Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile.
  • 2010Second Interdisciplinary Seminar on Reflection and Environmental Responsibility [Director]. Faculty of Philosophy and Education, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile.
  • 2009First Seminar on Environmental Psychology: Opening Spaces for Relationship(s) [Director]. Psychology Department, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile.

Art & Culture

  • Río Junto, Art Collective

    Río Junto is an interdisciplinary art collective that I co-founded with Johanna Nieto Rojas, based in Southern California, dedicated to fostering Latin American cultural exchange. Focused on promoting the work of Latin American artists and creators, we offer a platform for collaboration across artistic, technological, and cultural fields. Rooted in Riverside, California, our mission is to create a space for cultural outreach, including documentary screenings, virtual reality exhibitions, musical performances, cultural experiences, and playful initiatives. Our collaborators include The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture (The Cheech), the Riverside Art Museum (RAM), and the Gluck Fellows Program of the Arts at UCR. By offering a dynamic array of events, we aim to engage audiences in the U.S. and Latin America, bridging communities through art, culture, and play. We invite people from all walks of life to participate in meaningful cultural exchanges and collaborations.

Public Cultural Events

Organized as Co-Director of Río Junto

  • 2024Ludic Activism in Times of War: Awareness from Ukraine. Talk by Valeriy Petrov, Game Artist and Activist Supported by the Center for Ideas and Society, UC Riverside. CA, USA.
  • 2024Ecological Narratives in Play: 'Atuel'. Talk by Pablo Quarta, Game Artist and Activist Supported by the Center for Ideas and Society, Hispanic Studies Dept., Media & Cultural Studies Dept., Gluck Fellows Program of the Arts, UC Riverside. CA, USA.
  • 2024Ludic Activism in Times of War: Awareness from Palestine. Talk by Rasheed Abueideh, Game Artist and Activist Supported by the Center for Ideas and Society, Comparative Literature Dept., Media & Cultural Studies Dept., Hispanic Studies Dept., UC Riverside. CA, USA.
  • 2024Echoes of Resilience: 50 Years After Chile's Coup. Documentary screening + director’s presentation of "Special Circumstances" by Marianne Teleki & Hector Salgado Supported by the Center for Ideas and Society, Hispanic Studies Dept., Media & Cultural Studies Dept., Latino and Latin American Studies Research Center, Gluck Fellows Program of the Arts, UC Riverside. CA, USA.
  • 2024Deconstructing Episodic Memory - A Conceptual Art Installation by Hector Salgado. Art exhibition by Héctor Salgado based on his experience as a political prisoner during the dictatorship in Chile Supported by the Center for Ideas and Society, Hispanic Studies Dept., Media & Cultural Studies Dept., Latino and Latin American Studies Research Center, Gluck Fellows Program of the Arts, UC Riverside. CA, USA.
  • 2024Cut & Sow. Dialogues on hair, daily care practices, and human materiality CA, USA.
  • 2024Chilean Music in Times of Revolution. Documentary screening + music performance + director’s presentation of "En Septiembre Canta el Gallo" by Nano Stern & Lucho Briceño Supported by the Music Dept., Hispanic Studies Dept., Media & Cultural Studies Dept., Latino and Latin American Studies Research Center, Gluck Fellows Program of the Arts, UC Riverside. CA, USA.
  • 2024Nano Stern sings Victor Jara in Joshua Tree - El Pimiento Joshua Tree National Park, CA, USA.

Community Art & Cultural Service

Organized as Co-Director of Río Junto

  • 2024GoFundMe Campaign and Wildfire Chile 24 Game Development. [Director] Organized a GoFundMe campaign to support victims of the 2024 Valparaíso mega fire, which resulted in over a hundred human casualties, hundreds of thousands of non-human victims, and the destruction of thousands of homes. Developed the video game Wildfire Chile 24 in collaboration with Niebla Games to promote the campaign, raising approximately $4,500 that was donated directly to support organizations and families close to the team who lost everything.
  • 2024World of Games: Mancala. [Director] An interactive workshop exploring Mancala, an ancient family of games from Africa, fostering cultural understanding and game design skills through hands-on play. Riverside, California, USA.
  • 2024Mini Cheech. [Co-Director] Family art program at the Cheech Marin Chicano Art Museum. Supported by the Gluck Fellows Program of the Arts, UC Riverside. CA, USA.
  • 2024La Lucha Libre. [Co-Director] Family art program at the Cheech Marin Chicano Art Museum. Supported by the Gluck Fellows Program of the Arts, UC Riverside. CA, USA.
  • 2024La Lotería. [Co-Director] Family art program at the Cheech Marin Chicano Art Museum. Supported by the Gluck Fellows Program of the Arts, UC Riverside. CA, USA.
  • 2024La Piñata. [Co-Director] Family art program at the Cheech Marin Chicano Art Museum. Supported by the Gluck Fellows Program of the Arts, UC Riverside. CA, USA.
  • 2024Evolving Games at Val Verde Elementary School [Director] Social play workshop to explore game design principles through traditional games. Perris, CA, USA.
  • 2023Evolving Games at Gluck VIP Day for 120 participants at the same time [Director] Social play workshop to explore game design principles through traditional games at UC Riverside. Riverside, CA, USA.
  • 2023Evolving Games at Perris High School [Director] Social play workshop to explore game design principles through traditional games. Perris, CA, USA.
  • 2022–23Evolving Games at UCR [Director] Social play workshop to explore game design principles through traditional games at UC Riverside. California, USA. 2022 & 2023.

Additional Community & Humanitarian Service

  • 2017–19Evolving Games at Public Elementary and High Schools in Chile Social play workshop to explore game design principles through traditional games in three regions. Magallanes, Valparaíso & Santiago, Chile. 2017 - 2019.
  • 2019Family Recreational Activities. Organized with the Neighborhood Center of Cerro Las Delicias Valparaíso, Chile.
  • 2011Circus Recreational Activities for Children Juggling and Face Painting in Cerro Cordillera, a low-income area of Valparaíso. Valparaíso, Chile.
  • 2010Post-Earthquake Debris Removal Support Coordinated with the Federation of Students of Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso and the Municipality of Valparaíso. Valparaíso, Chile.
  • 2010Recreational Activities with Children and Adolescents Affected by the Earthquake Organized by JJCC Students. Lota, Chile.