A 400-Year-Old Masterpiece Comes Alive in Goa’s Contemporary Arts Landscape
Panjim, Goa – Under the patronage of the Embassy of Italy in India, the Consulate General of Italy in Mumbai, the Italian Embassy Cultural Centre New Delhi, Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Mumbai together with Serendipity Arts along with the support of MetaMorfosi Cultural Association are pleased to present the exhibition of the “Magdalene in Ecstasy” by Caravaggio at the 10th edition of Serendipity Arts Festival.
This marks the first time a work by Caravaggio is exhibited in Goa, bringing one of the defining figures of Western art history into direct dialogue with a contemporary, multidisciplinary cultural platform.
Created during Caravaggio’s desperate flight from Rome following a fatal duel, the painting was among three works he carried with him on his final journey toward papal pardon—a redemption he would never reach. The work captures Mary Magdalene in a moment suspended between spiritual ecstasy and human vulnerability, her face transfigured, tears streaming, embodying both repentance and transcendence.
Magdalene in Ecstasy resurfaced in the early 21st century after centuries in relative obscurity and was authenticated by leading scholars, including Mina Gregori. The painting bears historical markings associated with papal provenance. Caravaggio’s decision to represent the Magdalene without conventional attributes, retaining only the skull and the cross, signals a stark, inward turn characteristic of his final works.
The exhibition was inaugurated on 14 December 2025 by Walter Ferrara, Consul General of Italy in Mumbai, Andrea Anastasio, Director of Italian Embassy Cultural Centre in New Delhi, Francesca Amendola, director of Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Mumbai and Smriti Rajgarhia, Director of Serendipity Arts in the presence of Shrinivas Dempo, Honorary Consul of Italy in Goa and Rohit Monserrat, Mayor of the city of Panaji.
and will be on view till 21st December 2025 at the Directorate of Accounts, a key heritage venue within the festival’s city-wide program.
The Serendipity Arts Festival invites audiences to experience this historic encounter at the Directorate of Accounts building in Panjim, where the 400-year-old masterpiece will breathe within the living fabric of contemporary arts programming.
Within the Festival, the painting will be presented in dialogue with site-specific installations by contemporary artists, underscoring its enduring relevance from the seventeenth century to the present.
“This exhibition is more than a cultural milestone; it is a special celebration that honours the shared history, art and spirit of two distinct worlds. It brings them into dialogue, uniting the luminous genius of Caravaggio with the ancient faith of Goa—a profound meeting of spiritual heritages,” said the Consul General of Italy in Mumbai, Walter Ferrara
Reflecting on the presentation of the masterpiece at the Serendipity Arts Festival, Ms. Shefali Munjal, Co-Founder- Patron of Serendipity Arts, expressed:
“At Serendipity Arts Festival, we have always believed in the transformative power of cultural experiences, and the presentation of Caravaggio’s Magdalene in Ecstasy in Goa exemplifies this vision. Bringing a work of such profound historical, spiritual and artistic resonance to the Festival reflects our long-standing commitment to nurturing dialogue across geographies, time periods and artistic practices. We hope that this extraordinary encounter with a 400-year-old masterpiece will inspire new ways of seeing, feeling and thinking, and will deepen our collective appreciation for the role of the arts in shaping empathetic, inclusive and progressive societies.”
Adding to that, Smriti Rajgarhia, Director of Serendipity Arts, said:
“Welcoming Caravaggio’s Magdalene in Ecstasy to the Serendipity Arts Festival is a moment of deep significance for us. The painting’s arrival in Goa creates a rare bridge between centuries of artistic imagination and today’s contemporary cultural landscape. This exhibition reinforces our commitment to making world art accessible to diverse audiences and to positioning South Asia within global conversations on heritage, creativity and artistic exchange. It is an honour to collaborate with our partners in Italy to bring this historic masterpiece into dialogue with the vibrant, multidisciplinary spirit of the Festival.”
Curated by Andrea Anastasio, Director of the Italian Embassy Cultural Centre in New Delhi, the initiative is coordinated by the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Mumbai, which oversees the overall organisational effort together with Serendipity Arts.
Andrea Anastasio noted, “The year 2025 marks an extraordinary milestone: for the first time in history, a work by Caravaggio is being exhibited in India. The unveiling of Magdalene in Ecstasy in Panaji stands as both an exceptional artistic event and a significant moment in the ongoing strengthening of cultural diplomacy between Italy and India. As Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in New Delhi, I consider this occasion not only a celebration of artistic excellence, but also a profound gesture of cultural sharing. Bringing an exquisite painting by Caravaggio to the Indian subcontinent means offering, in the most direct and authentic way, a vital part of Italy’s cultural identity. This exhibition inaugurates what I hope will become a long and fruitful season of exchanges, mutual understanding, and new collaborations between our two countries—countries linked for millennia by intersecting routes, ideas, and visions. Presenting Caravaggio at the heart of a major contemporary art festival is far more than a symbolic act: it highlights the artist as a visionary precursor of modernity, whose exploration of light, human emotion, and complexity continues to speak with powerful relevance to the present. Set within a sixteenth-century heritage building in the centre of Panaji, Magdalene in Ecstasy encounters the works of contemporary Indian artists in a setting that is both coherent and deeply evocative. Here, history and contemporaneity meet, revealing how profoundly Caravaggio’s legacy resonates across time, geography, and culture. May this historic first appearance of Caravaggio in India open new pathways for creative dialogue, collaboration, and shared discovery between our cultural communities. It represents a significant step toward a relationship that is richer, more conscious, and ever more deeply connected.”
Reflecting on the significance of this exceptional exhibition, Francesca Amendola, Director of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Mumbai, said:
“Bringing Magdalene in Ecstasy to Goa is a moment of rare significance: Caravaggio’s modernity and genius emerge with a clarity that still feels startlingly immediate. Within the Serendipity Arts Festival, the work enters a setting defined by contemporary artistic exploration—an environment that sharpens, rather than dilutes, the vitality of a great classical masterpiece and its ability to speak to the present. Goa’s distinctive cultural landscape makes this presentation particularly resonant. Sharing the painting within the Festival is an important opportunity, and one that we hope will open the way to future collaborations with SAF and with the broader creative community of Goa.”
“The exhibition of this masterpiece by Caravaggio offers a unique opportunity to immerse oneself, as part of the prestigious Serendipity Arts Festival, in the world of one of the greatest artists of all time, and to bring together the great artistic cultures of Italy and India, in the name of dialogue and peace.” commented Pietro Folena, president of MetaMorfosi Cultural Association
A Modern Artist Before Modernity
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610), widely regarded as the father of modernity in painting, transformed European art through his radical use of light and shadow (chiaroscuro) and his uncompromising, lifelike portrayal of sacred subjects drawn from everyday reality. Magdalene in Ecstasy, painted in the final year of his turbulent life, represents the pinnacle of this radical vision and continues to engage contemporary audiences.
About Serendipity Arts Festival
Serendipity Arts Festival transforms 300,000 square feet of iconic buildings and alternative spaces into South Asia’s premier multi-disciplinary cultural platform. Spanning visual, performing, and culinary arts alongside film, live arts, and literature, the Festival challenges status quo relationships—between art and viewer, city and citizen, proscenium and audience. Working within these dialectics, we foster conversations that strengthen cultural ecosystems and create human channels spreading impact across regions and generations. Having proven that cultural placemaking can transform cities, the Festival operates as a nomadic structure designed to adapt to any city and any stage. This cultural experiment supports artistic practice while demonstrating how culture cultivates empathetic leadership, teaches kindness, and builds the foundation for a safe, healthy, and progressive society. The Festival has received several recognitions, including 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 efforts toward creating an inclusive cultural environment.
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