​​​​​​Dario Mohr 

Dario Mohr is a first generation Grenadian U.S. citizen born in 1988.  His work involves the creation of  "sacred spaces" referencing his heritage, and expressing commentary on the cultural zeitgeist through immersive sanctuary experiences. Cody Umans aims to communicate stories, social criticism, educational material, and emotional catharsis through interdisciplinary, participatory artworks. He observes already existing systems of visual communication and educational tools from both his own society and those that are focused on sustainability and emphasize caring relationships with the planet. 

Cody and Dario first met at the Flux Factory residency in 2020. Cody participated in an exhibition of Dario’s where they both shared memorials to past relatives. Since then they have discovered multiple ways in which their art practices complement each other.  Using Dario’s constructed drawings, Cody built an altar for his Temple of Acacia solo show at the Old Stone House. This altar is being repurposed to serve as the windows and walls of the “Ancestral Perennial” monument that will distinguish the spiritual space where the seeds of our beloveds can grow. The details of the installation are Inspired by Dario’s travels in Ghana. They Include Adinkra symbols inspired by the Ashanti Kingdom in Ghana as well as Cody’s unique puzzle piece construction method that he employs for much of his work. 

Special thanks to Katherine Gressel and Kim Maier at Old Stone House for their support in this process. Shout out to Amadu Abdul-Wahab of Dotcom Arts in Ghana for fabricating the custom finials for the piece.

Excerpt: 

You traveled to Ghana, Benin, Togo, and Nigeria, and integrated those experiences into the “Temple of Acacia” series, which is dedicated to spiritual practices in West Africa. What did you take away from those experiences?

One of the major motivating factors for me going to West Africa was understanding how to link my Grenadian ancestry, which really has no recollection of Africa, to that land. I ended up taking an African ancestry DNA test. It acknowledged that we have Akan ancestry on my grandmother’s side, we have Ga ancestry on my grandfather’s side. When I went to Africa, I was very interested in learning more about the Akan people (a tribe historically based in Ghana) and the Ga people.

I met with a tour guide named Confidence, and we drove from Accra to Kumasi, a city in the Ashanti region, where I explored some museums and sacred sites. Among the sites visited was Bonwire, one of the last remaining authentic traditional Kente weaving facilities, where I purchased a giant Kente cloth piece that I used in my “Temple of Acacia” solo show at Old Stone House. We drove through borders from Ghana to Togo, Benin, and then Nigeria. There were many highlights along this journey, including a visit to the Grand Fetish Market, the largest voodoo market in the world, as well as visits to “slave castles” and UNESCO heritage sites.

Since its inception in 2010, SHIFT residency has been providing peer support, mentoring, and studio space for over eighty artists who work in arts organizations (as curators, educators, administrators, etc.) to boost their personal creative practices. SHIFT recognizes the contribution of arts workers to the art community, and for whom their livelihood is a passion and responsibility, demanding attentiveness and creativity. The SHIFT residency honors these artists’ commitment to the arts community with a supportive environment to revitalize their creative practices.

SHIFT has hosted over sixty artists working in a range of media, from sound and installation to painting, performance, and social practice. In addition to its role as a support network, SHIFT promotes advocacy for arts workers and seeks to increase equity and representation within the field.