A 15th century Naga Sapta Naadi painting formed of seven serpentine lines represents the sevenfold divisions in the universe as a cosmic river of time and reality. Another, of a Nag-Pash Yantra, is a geometric schema of two copulating serpents from Hindu spiritual practice. The Serpenti Infinito exhibition by Bvlgari in Mumbai, curated by art gallery Nature Morte, offers a fascinating insight into these and other symbols of the naga or serpent through the historic associations and artistic traditions of India.
The naga, a timeless motif embodying protection and renewal, has resonated across faiths and cultural expressions in India. But what does this symbolism have to do with the Italian luxury fashion house? Well, in 1948, Bvlgari brought the mysticism of the ‘serpenti’ to the world, via its iconic jewellery and watches — a story it has continued to tell through cross-cultural exhibitions, events and heritage dialogues across countries.
Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas in Bvlgari’s Serpenti Maharani Secret necklace at the Serpenti Infinito exhibition in Mumbai, October 1, 2025.
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Getty Images
This show marks Bvlgari’s India launch and presents over 75 works and 23 acclaimed artists in an exhibition celebrating the ‘Serpenti’ icon. Like its Shanghai and Seoul editions celebrating the Chinese Year of the Snake, the India exhibition, drawn from institutional and private collections, also examines the symbiotic relationship between the serpent and history, art and meaning.
The tableau of artworks is diverse — from artist Radha Sollur and her impressive sculptural forms in paper to Turkish-American media artist Refik Anadol’s futuristic work, a fascinating 360-degree mirrored environment shaped by machine learning algorithms trained on natural snake forms. Critically acclaimed Madhubani artist Baua Devi, one of the few Indian women who has shown at the Centre Pompidou, presents her serpent forms along with other notable artists such as Subodh Gupta, Reena Saini Kallat, Olivia Fraser and Rithika Merchant.
Enter Projects Asia’s Rattan Snake (left) and Subodh Gupta’s Infinite Sleeper, featuring bronze and brass utensils.
Serpenti Infinito has been put together by Nature Morte and Artistic Director Sean Anderson, who was formerly Associate Curator at New York’s MoMA and co-curator of the first-ever Qatar pavilion at Venice Biennale’s Exhibition of Architecture this year. Edited excerpts from a conversation:
Sean Anderson, curator of Serpenti Infinito in Mumbai, is Associate Professor in Architecture at Cornell University.
| Photo Credit:
Chloe Burton-Green
How did the idea for a show about nagas and art come about?
My ambition was to not isolate the image of the naga or the serpent but think about it holistically — think across time and across various contexts of India, in particular. Knowing that the naga has had a transcendental aspect to it throughout time, a spiritual significance, and a locality attached to it, I wanted to create an image of the naga that embraces its multiplicity. And, of course, think about it with resonance within artistic practices.
Protective goddess Manasa, the guardian deity against the perils of snakebite in the dense mangroves of Eastern India jungles, executed in the large format Kalighat style by artist Kalam Patua.
The 108 Karanas of Natyashastra by R. Srinivasan and L. Rathakrishnan features 108 bronze sculptures of the god of dance, Nataraja, depicting different mudras that symbolise the naga.
What did it mean to conceptualise a themed exhibition on Indian art for an international jewellery brand?
Bvlgari had a specific trajectory of how this exhibition could be made based on their earlier show in Shanghai but I felt it was extremely important that we not think of the naga as one singular concept and questioned whether we could make an exhibition where the jewellery is not separate from the art. In India, the naga could be representated with many meanings, either as an individual or collective memory or as an artistic expression. The exhibition looks at the history of the naga in India through stories, narrative, spatially and through textures. I wanted an international jewellery brand to be refracted through Indian art.
Adding to 11 pieces from the Bvlgari Heritage Collection, dating back to 1955, is the India edition of the high jewellery. Featured here is a Serpenti necklace with a cabochon sapphire stone.
It is interesting that the show juxtaposes international jewellery with Indian art.
I felt it was important to nuance what the serpent in Indian art might be, and also that the art not be a backdrop for the jewellery. The exhibition aims at amplifying the jewellery and vice versa and is an opportunity for reciprocity, to tell us something about ourselves. Representing India was no easy task and there was so much to show. I wanted it to appeal and speak to as many different voices and constituencies as possible.
Radha Sollur, a chittara artist, takes inspiration from her heritage and ritual nagamandala drawings to make these sculptural forms in paper, a homage to the
powerful symbolism of snakes.
What can the visitor expect to see?
The exhibition has ancient art, historical art and works from modernism borrowed from museums, institutions and collectors. There are large, commissioned works like the immersive work by Anadol. The non-Indian artists are shown because there is a very strong thematic relationship with their art. Working with the curatorial perspective of finding artworks that deal with the theme of serpents, I found a lot of resonance with localised artworks and wanted no division between indigenous, modern and contemporary art — terms that are used by art historians to create different forms of value.
Padma Shri Baua Devi’s Bal Basant (2005) is a series in the Bharni style of paintings from the Madhubani and Mithila districts of Bihar.
What are the exciting works in there for you?
They are all my favourites because I chose them, but a discovery for me was Baua Devi. She is an exceptional artist, a storyteller who makes exquisite paintings and drawings that are narrative in structure and form and make you realise that we are embedded in worlds sometimes of our own making and sometimes not. My hope for the visitor in this exhibition is to experience the multiple presents of Indian art.
Serpenti Infinito is on view at Art House, NMACC, Mumbai, till October 17.
The interviewer is the founder-director of Eka Archiving Services.