A Landmark Franco-Indian Artistic Collaboration Announced for the Opening of THE BRIJ in New Delhi

The Centre National des Arts Plastiques (Cnap), the Serendipity Arts and the Embassy of France in India are pleased to announce a major artistic collaboration marking the inauguration of THE BRIJ, a new cultural center in New Delhi dedicated to sustainability, interdisciplinary creation, and public engagement.

The inaugural exhibition at THE BRIJ will bring together leading voices from the French and Indian contemporary art scenes in an ambitious, long-term project designed to foster dialogue, experimentation, and cross-cultural exchange.

A Major Exhibition Bridging France and India

Co-curated by a Franco-Indian scientific committee, led by the duo made of Pascal Beausse and Vidya Shivadas, the exhibition will present approximately 50 artists, including works from Cnap’s prestigious public collection alongside newly commissioned works by India-based artists.

Drawing from over 108,000 works acquired by Cnap over more than two centuries, the exhibition will activate historical and contemporary narratives through a dynamic dialogue between collections, practices, and geographies.

At its core, the project explores the concept of ecosophy—a philosophy of inhabiting the world that connects ecological awareness, social practices, and collective forms of living.

By combining public collections, contemporary practices, and new commissions, the project seeks to generate new narratives at the intersection of art, society, and ecology—while building lasting connections between artistic ecosystems.

Sunil Kant Munjal, Founder Patron of Serendipity Arts and the Chairman of THE BRIJ, comments: “Our collaboration with Cnap began several years ago, when they joined as an Institutional Partner of the Serendipity Arts Festival — which celebrated its 10th anniversary last December. Since the beginning Cnap has contributed richly, both through landmark exhibitions such as Terra Nullius / Nobody’s Land: Excavations from Image 3.0 (2022), and through the generous loan of works that have brought leading figures of the French art scene to our audiences. It felt entirely natural, then, that Cnap should become an essential international partner for the inauguration of our new centre in Delhi – THE BRIJ. They have long been part of the Serendipity family, and we look forward to writing this next chapter together.”

“The international circulation and visibility of our public collections are at the core of Cnap’s mission. Having this unique platform and point of anchorage in India, on the occasion of the opening of THE BRIJ, will allow us to strengthen our ties with a remarkably dynamic artistic scene and a new audience — not only through the inauguration event, but also by establishing a lasting presence through long-term loans. This is precisely the role of a public collection: to share, to circulate, and to

build enduring connections with pioneering partners such as the Serendipity Arts”, replied Martin Bethenod, Director of Cnap.

A Platform for Research, Residencies, and Artistic Experimentation

Beyond the exhibition itself, the collaboration will unfold through a series of artistic, scientific, and educational initiatives, including:

• A cross-residency programme between France and India

• New artistic commissions and interdisciplinary research

• Public programmes, conferences, and publications

• Professional exchanges and capacity-building initiatives

This long-term framework aims to deepen knowledge of contemporary artistic practices while fostering sustainable cultural partnerships between the two countries.

The project benefits from the exceptional support of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs through the Fonds Équipe France, which will contribute nearly €900,000 over the next two years.

This support is designed to position the inaugural exhibition as a living platform for dialogue between the French and Indian contemporary art scenes, while also strengthening local capacities. Additionally, it will contribute to training cultural professionals through THE BRIJ Cultural Leaders Fellowship, delivered by Serendipity Arts—whose first open call closed on May 5—and to supporting emerging creative entrepreneurs in design and craft practices through THE BRIJ’s Incubator programme.

H.E. Thierry Mathou, Ambassador of France to India said: Institutions such as the Serendipity Arts play an essential role within India s cultural ecosystem. They act as genuine bridges between our cultures, not least because they engage deeply with the values of artistic creation that are central to France s cultural policy. By supporting such initiatives through significant public investment, we aim to contribute meaningfully to the structuring of India s cultural scene, from ambitious programming to training and capacity-building in cultural entrepreneurship, thereby advancing France s objective of fostering a new community of cultural passeurs between our countries.”

Key Dates (Indicative)

• February 2026 – Public announcement during the visit of President Emmanuel Macron to India

• December 2026 – Presentation of the curatorial project at the Serendipity Arts Festival, Goa

About Cnap:

The Centre National des Arts Plastiques (National Center for Visual Arts, Cnap) is one of the main operators of the French Ministry of Culture. Its mission is to support and promote contemporary creation in all its diversity, both in terms of disciplines—painting, sculpture, design, photography,

video, graphic design, etc.—and career paths. On behalf of the French Government, Cnap acquires works to enrich its collection, one of the most important public collections in France, which it preserves and makes available to cultural institutions, museums, and government agencies, both in France and abroad. Comprising over 108,000 works acquired from living artists over more than two centuries, this online collection is representative of the diversity of artistic movements that have succeeded one another and of contemporary art in all its plurality. Cnap also actively supports the French art scene with several resources and grants designed to help contemporary artists and art professionals.

About Serendipity Arts:

Serendipity Arts is a not-for-profit foundation based out of India nurturing artistic practice, research, and cross-cultural dialogue across South Asia. We believe the arts have the power to foster empathy, curiosity, and meaningful connection, and everything we do is guided by that conviction.

Through grants, residencies, collaborative projects, and art writing initiatives, we support emerging and established artists working across disciplines, from visual arts and music to theatre, dance, craft, photography, and beyond. We are equally committed to education and sustainability in the arts, recognising that a thriving creative ecology depends on long-term investment in both people and practice.

Alongside our year-round programmes, we are proud to host the Serendipity Arts Festival in Panjim, Goa, South Asia’s largest multidisciplinary arts festival. Held annually with free public access, the festival brings together artists, institutions, and audiences in a spirit of openness and shared discovery, celebrating the civic responsibility of supporting the arts.

About Serendipity Arts Festival:

Serendipity Arts Festival is South Asia’s largest multidisciplinary arts festival, held annually in Panjim, Goa, with free public access. Transforming over 300,000 square feet of iconic buildings and alternative spaces, the Festival spans visual arts, music, theatre, dance, culinary arts, craft, film, and live arts, creating vibrant platforms for artistic exchange and public engagement.

At the heart of the Festival is a belief that culture has the power to cultivate empathy, teach kindness, and build the foundations for a more progressive and inclusive society. We work to challenge received ideas about the relationship between art and viewer, city and citizen, stage and audience, fostering conversations that strengthen cultural ecosystems and spread impact across regions and generations.

The Festival and its leadership have received wide recognition for their contributions to culture and accessibility. Founder-Patron Sunil Kant Munjal was conferred the Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite by the French Government in acknowledgment of his enduring commitment to the arts. The Festival itself has been recognised for its contribution to cultural life, having received the Cultural Impact Award at the Business Goa Lifestyle Awards 2025, Best Cultural Festival at the 8th Annual LCD Berlin Awards, and the Svayam Accessibility Award 2025 for its commitment to creating a truly inclusive cultural environment. The eleventh edition of Serendipity Arts Festival is set to take place in Panjim, Goa, from 13th-20th December, 2026.

About THE BRIJ:

Spread across an 8-acre land parcel in Delhi, THE BRIJ is Serendipity Arts’ upcoming cultural center that will host multiple artistic projects and expressions, based on the principles of innovation, sustainability, accessibility, and inclusion.

The centre, currently under construction, will have a Museum, an Academy & Workshop, a Gallery, Library, a Stepwell Gallery, an Arena, Theatre and Black Box, and much more. The facility will also house a crafts centre and an artisanal village, where dying and fringe art & craft forms will be brought back to life, through research, practice, and incubation. The entire campus has been designed in a way that is 100 percent accessible to the differently abled.

About the French Institute in India/Embassy of France:

The French Institute in India (IFI) is the Education, Science and Culture service of the Embassy of France in India. It facilitates academic and scientific exchange between higher institutes of learning and research, enables student mobility, and promotes the French language, and artistic and cultural partnerships. Cooperation between India and France takes place through a number of sectors: Arts & Culture, Books & Ideas, French Language & Education, Study in France programme, Academic Partnerships, Science and Technology, as well as Innovation and Multimedia.

In 2026, we celebrate the India-France Year of Innovation which programming is designed to renew the narrative of the bilateral relationship, encouraging pioneer opportunities across various fields, including creative economy.