4 min readNew DelhiFeb 20, 2026 01:58 PM IST
On February 18, the lawns of the French Institute in India (IFI) became a stage for the celebration of cultural diplomacy. French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron were received at the venue for an immersive evening conceived as a walk-through rather than a formal reception.
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Titled “The New Cultural Passeurs”, the event — organised by IFI and conceptualised and produced by Serendipity Arts — positioned artists, writers and designers at the centre as custodians of a shared cultural future between the two countries. Moving through installations and conversations, the Macrons encountered contemporary practices in art, design, literature, craft and visual storytelling. Here is a glimpse into who they met and what they saw:
Designer Rahul Mishra: The first Indian fashion designer to be invited to present at the Paris Haute Couture Week as a guest member in 2020, Mishra is scheduled to open a store in Paris soon and shared a design with Macron alongside an embroidered piece. Craftspeople from his workshop embroidered live through the evening. “I am the first in my family to get into hand-embroidery and am looking forward to sharing the craft with everyone here,” said 31-year-old Mohammed Moquim, who has been working with Mishra for about eight years. Mishra’s designs were juxtaposed with a work by designer and artist Gabriel Hafner, a laureate of Design Parade Hyères and a resident of Villa Swagatam.
Author Meena Kandasamy: Having recently returned to India after a Villa Swagatam residency at Maison de la Poésie de Nantes, known for her anti-caste and feminist writings, Kandasamy read from her recent works to Macron. Her writings were presented alongside the work of Paris-based poet and performer Selim-a Atallah Chettaoui.
Author Pema Wangchuk Dorjee: The Sikkim-based author and journalist presented pages from his forthcoming graphic novel Sikkim Stories, created with French illustrator Simon Lamouret. To be published in France in September 2026, the narrative set in Sikkim brings together three parallel trajectories of protagonists from disparate backgrounds who eventually meet. The co-writers met when Lamouret was in Sikkim for a Villa Swagatam residency.
Charpai installation by Vandana Kalra
Graphic novelist Amruta Patil: Author, artist and graphic novelist, Patil presented a glimpse of her forthcoming exhibition tracing the history of Indian visual storytelling. Co-developed by the Museum of Art and Photography (Bengaluru) and Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l’image (Angoulême), the exhibition will be held at the respective venues in July 2026 and 2027. “It ranges from pattachitra and kavad to web comics and comics created by AI… The 250-300 works on display will also include art objects,” noted Patil.
The Charpai: In its sixth iteration, The Charpai — first commissioned by Serendipity Arts in 2018 — draws from traditional design to create handwoven panels crafted by artisans from recycled food wrappers and ropes, alongside rigid panels made from upcycled tetra packs, all mounted on scaffoldings. Curated by designers Ayush Kasliwal and Ramayudh Sahu in collaboration with multidisciplinary artist and designer Goji, the installation at IFI was conceived not just as a space for rest and conversation but as a structure that held several projects within.
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The Bond: Paris-based artist Marie Gastini presented an embroidered wall appliqué and tapestry from her installation ‘The Bond’, created in collaboration with Equo and Amal Embroideries. The work was first unveiled earlier this month at the India Art Fair.
French President Emmanuel Macron with fashion designer Rahul Mishra
A Monia Aljalis poems and video: The Franco-Tunisian writer, poet and performer presented poems written in Varanasi, drawing inspiration from Bhakti poetry and religious scriptures. A video featured classical music by tabla musician Premanand.
Mensa and Psilas: These works were created by artist-designer Marisol Santana during her residency at Nila House in Jaipur in 2024-25. While Mensa is part of a collection of sculptural lamps created with Jaipur-based artisans, Psilas is a textile-cane installation from a larger body of work.
The Biography of Ganga: Wall panels displayed pages from Cememt Xavier and Lisa Lugin’s graphic novel project, which presents a biographical narrative of the Ganga, imagining the river as a living person.
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