Dakota Magdalena Mokhammad

Currents is one of the most important development platforms for visual arts in the Euregion. The group exhibition is curated by a team of young and upcoming curators, and shows work by recently graduated artists from academies in the southern Netherlands, Belgium and North Rhine-Westphalia. The event is embedded in a broader mentoring program with a central focus on training, networking and professionalisation. Four of the selected artists are invited to develop their work during a Jester residency.

Currents 11 takes place from 21 September to 3 November 2024 at Marres, House for Contemporary Culture in Maastricht.

Artist statement:

“I am Dakota Magdalena Mokhammad, a nomad of many worlds. Born from the blood of a Russian mother and an Afghan father, my roots steeped in the eternal steppes of Kazakhstan. Where the spirit distances itself from the given gender. At the age of twelve, I crossed borders to the Netherlands.

I allow myself to fully immerse in the fabric of existence, in search of who I truly am. In all my works lies a fragment of this story, the protracted journey towards understanding. A symphony of symbols that whisper of forgotten legends and hidden truths. Like an alchemist, I play with the elements of my being. My work is a celebration of the human body and the boundless complexity of the soul. Each material I choose is infused with symbolic meaning, and I approach my work with a profound understanding of their physical qualities and the associations they bring.

I admire the power of transformation, the magic of the mundane, and the beauty of the unexpected. My workplace is a sanctuary, where the boundaries between culture and identity merge. In its shadow, you find the ashes of the past. Here I dance with the spirits of the past and the dreams of the future. Where children of transformation are born. Where every gesture is an act of magic and every word a prayer for eternity.”