The Museum of Sacred Art Foundation (MOSA) and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) have entered into a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the systematic promotion of Indian art throughout Europe. This agreement, spanning the years 2026 to 2028, was formally executed on December 27, 2025, at the newly renovated Swami Vivekananda Cultural Center in Paris.
The MOU was signed by Śrī Mahāprabhu Dāsa, Director of MOSA, and Śrīmatī K. Nandinī Singla, Director General of the ICCR, an autonomous institution functioning under the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India. The occasion was honored by the presence of His Excellency Śrī Sanjeev Singla, Ambassador of India to France, whose attendance underscored the cultural and diplomatic importance of this collaborative endeavor.
Speaking on the significance of the agreement, Mahāprabhu Dāsa expressed, “This represents a very important step in the development of MOSA, as it enables us to receive the support of the Government of India in our efforts to present Indian art throughout Europe. Through the medium of visual art, we aspire to convey the message of India’s profound spiritual heritage.”
Mahaprabhu Dasa, Director of MOSA, and K. Nandini Singla, Director General of the ICCR, signing the MOU.
Mahaprabhu Dasa with Ambassador K. Nandini Singla, Ambassador Sanjeev Singla, and the Director of the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Center in Paris.
Mahaprabhu Dasa showing the Ambassador the MOSA catalogue of exhibits available.
Mahaprabhu Dasa disucssing the partnership with Ambassador K. Nandini Singla.
This three-year pilot initiative will encompass seven European nations—namely the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Hungary. In accordance with the agreement, MOSA undertakes to organize a minimum of five exhibitions annually across museums and cultural institutions within these countries. The ICCR will extend institutional support through an allocated budget covering exhibition-related expenditures, including logistical arrangements and cultural programming.
MOSA contributes to this partnership a rich and extensive body of Indian art exhibitions, many of which are centered upon spiritual subject matter and include works created by artists associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). At present, MOSA curates nineteen adaptable exhibitions, suitable for presentation in venues of varying dimensions and capacities. Among these, the prominent exhibition Forms of Devotion stands out, comprising over five hundred works by one hundred and fifty artists, and vividly illustrating the breadth and depth of devotional expression within Indian sacred art.
Alongside its expanding international outreach, MOSA also maintains two permanent galleries at ISKCON Rādhādeśa in Belgium. There it regularly hosts an annual ISKCON art exhibition each January, as well as an Indian art exhibition each May, with occasional variations. Through the present MOU, MOSA’s activities in Europe are substantially broadened, establishing a sustained and structured platform for presenting India’s spiritual and artistic legacy to a wider public.
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), an autonomous organization under the Ministry of External Affairs of India, is dedicated to the worldwide dissemination of Indian culture. Through its various initiatives, ICCR promotes Indian music, dance, cinema, theatre, and visual arts across many nations. In several countries, the Council operates its own cultural centers, among them the recently renovated Swami Vivekananda Cultural Center in Paris, situated near Les Invalides in one of the city’s most distinguished districts.
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