In the heart of our interconnected world, where distances dissolve and cultures intertwine, art and culture become powerful tools for building long-lasting bridges.

The second year of collaboration with the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts concluded with great success, Nexion stepped beyond beautiful design and surfaces towards cultural initiatives to serve as a point of reference to celebrate the magnificent cultures of Italy and India using the universal language of art.

Glimpse from the pre-event press conference with journalists, from left to right: Edoardo Catemario (Italian Composer), Mallika Sarabhai (Director, Darpana Academy), Mahesh Delvadia (Managing Director, Nexion Surfaces), Rajesh Gandhi (Marketing Head, Nexion Surfaces), and Yadvan Chandran (Creative Director, Meanwhile Elsewhere).

Art and culture as universal languages.

This year marked the 45th anniversary of the Vikram Sarabhai International Arts Festival at the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, celebrating outstanding productions developed and performed within the festival.

During the artistic residency brought international and Indian artists together with cross-cultural counterparts, fostering collaboration through art and culture as universal languages in the process of developing unique performances.

These efforts culminated in a three-day celebration of innovative works by these diverse artists.

Meanwhile Elsewhere: inspired by Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities.

During this second year of collaboration, Nexion and Darpana Academy co-hosted the premiere of Yadavan Chandran’s Meanwhile Elsewhere on December 28th, 2024.

The Darpana Academy’s very own artistic director has been channeling his training as a TV executive and filmmaker to drive a unique layered vision into his theatre work. Meanwhile, Elsewhere is his most recent endeavor.

In a space suspended between memory and imagination, Meanwhile, Elsewhere unfolds as a tapestry of dreams, desires, the intricate architecture of human connections, and the many ways we shape the space we inhabit and are shaped by it in return

Inspired by the fascinating medieval recounts of Marco Polo and Kublai Khan, the performance skillfully taps into Italian writer Italo Calvino’s opus, navigating the labyrinth of his invisible cities, each one a reflection of a human state: longing, ambition, and loss.

Of Heroes and Gods: An opera, inspired by Mahabharata.

On December 29th, 2024, Nexion and Darpana Academy co-produced the premiere of a new opera of the Italian composer Edoardo Catemario’s Of Heroes and Gods.

The Neapolitan guitarist, composer, and singer is a renowned classical artist and winner of the 2009 Gold Guitar; he has performed in prestigious venues worldwide and is an honorary associate professor at the Royal Academy of Music of London.

Of Heroes and Gods is a one-act opera that blends classical and contemporary music and connects two complementary worlds.

The opera, inspired by the majestic epic saga Mahābhārata, delves into universal human quests and themes such as karma, dharma, and the intrinsic power of human resilience

Catemario’s latest work explores the ethics of the ancient poem, resulting in a unique artistic crossover.
You can hear more about this opera from Edoardo’s words in this video interview, where he also shares his thoughts on collaborating with Mallika Sarabhai, and the partnership between Nexion and the Darpana Academy.

Envisioning a shared future.

The collaboration between Nexion and the Darpana Academy reflects a shared commitment to creating a positive cultural impact, leveraging the performing arts as universal platforms for exchange. Nexion is a catalyst for cultural innovation, transforming surfaces into artistic expressions that blend two ancient traditions, showing art as a universal language.

Crew of both premiers along with Nexion representatives

During an exclusive interview, Mallika Sarabhai, Director of the Darpana Academy, shared her thoughts on this project, emphasizing how the artistic dialogue between Italy and India can give life to a new form of shared creativity.

“Every work, every performance that arises from this collaboration is a testament to the fact that art knows no boundaries. It has the power to tell universal stories that speak to the hearts and minds of all”.

This ongoing collaboration between Nexion and the Darpana Academy is not just an encounter between two institutions but a blueprint for creating a cultural impact on the future, where traditions are not forgotten, but enriched by one another, put into dialogue with innovation to create something entirely new and meaningful.

Stay tuned and keep following us to be the first to know about the next edition!