On Thursday, 9th December, the realms of Indian and Italian art merged together for an evening of fun and frolic at the Italian Embassy in Chanakyapuri New Delhi. The Ambassador of Italy to India, H.E. Mr. Vincenzo de Luca, and the Director of the Italian Cultural Center, Mr. Andrea Baldi, invited dignitaries to the red carpet preview of “SAMA”, a documentary on Contemporary Art in India and Italy excavating valuable forms of craftsmanship and highlighting the emotional bridges between the two countries.

Among the guests, the young and dynamic directors of JD Institute of Fashion Technology were warmly received at the embassy. Some of our illustrious alumni were also given an opportunity to be a part of this exquisite evening. The screening of the documentary was organized in the sprawling lawns of the Italian Embassy Cultural Centre. The venue was abuzz with dignitaries of embassies, and know who of the industry. The evening that was an affair to remember, started with a red carpet. This was followed by the opening remarks by Mr. Vincenzo De Luca, Ambassador of Italy in India. After that, the guests were invited on stage for felicitation. The screening of the movie followed that.

Sama, a visionary and pioneering documentary film that explores the exciting world of Contemporary Art in both the Indian sub-continent and in Italy, and lends context by investigating the semiotics i.e. the signs and symbols surrounding them in history and culture. It allows the audience to glimpse into the aesthetics of the two regions imagined

as a collective continuum of different narratives that echo artist s w voices across continents and heterogeneous contemporary art practices. They also excavate now-rare and valuable forms of craftsmanship in Italy and India. The film develops an emotional bridge between the two countries, as an example of the historical-cultural and socio-economic extremes of the Euro-Asian continent, which despite their differences and complexities share a common ancestral connection and in doing so resolve distances into intercultural dialogues open to interpretation. An evening that brought together art from two different lands through a screen, is an evening to remember.