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Nikas Safronov and Rosneft Oil Company Cultural Diplomacy Project Opens New Technological Horizons in Mumbai

On December 30, 2025, the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in Mumbai hosted the grand opening of Dream Vision, the second solo exhibition in India by People’s Artist of Russia Nikas Safronov. The first exhibition opened in early December in New Delhi and, over just two weeks, was recognized as the most visited art exhibition in the country over the past 60 years. Both exhibitions are part of an international cultural diplomacy project jointly implemented by Nikas Safronov and Rosneft Oil Company. The project’s core mission is to use art to strengthen bridges between countries and foster friendship between peoples.

Dream Vision in Mumbai marks the first exhibition by a contemporary Russian artist in the city’s main national museum. It is already expected to surpass attendance records set in New Delhi, where, according to police estimates, Safronov’s exhibition at Lalit Kala Akademi drew 560,000 visitors. The first day in Mumbai demonstrated that the Dream Vision project has gone beyond its New Delhi iteration: its visual narrative has been enriched with new, technologically advanced exhibits.

The building of the National Gallery of Modern Art in Mumbai is a UNESCO cultural heritage site. Specially for this museum, Nikas Safronov created a unique installation in the form of a 500-meter Hindu mandala that comes alive beneath the museum’s vast dome. Through this work, the artist presents audiences with a familiar cultural code, reimagined through a contemporary and technological lens, setting a new benchmark for cultural exchange between Russia and India.

“New Delhi gave us a record that will become part of my personal history. But I hope it was the beginning of something greater. If New Delhi is primarily a business capital, Mumbai has a special aura: it is home to countless galleries and museums; creativity, cinema, and fashion pulse through the city, and its avant-garde art movements are known far beyond the country. I believe the audience here is different—more sophisticated. I am eagerly awaiting their response to my work. This exhibition is our joint New Year’s gift to India with Rosneft Oil Company, and every element has been carefully designed to engage in dialogue with the viewer. I hope that in Mumbai we will achieve this dialogue as well—one that will spark no less interest than in New Delhi, and perhaps even more,” says Nikas Safronov.

Following the sensation in New Delhi, Mumbai takes up the baton, inviting audiences to become part of a large-scale immersive project and experience a truly unique, expanded, and technologically advanced journey into the artist’s world. Safronov’s team created a special scenography for NGMA that takes into account the architecture of this iconic UNESCO-listed building.

The Dream Vision exhibition is conceived as a journey into the artist’s dream world, one that begins for every visitor right on the street. At the entrance, guests are greeted by large LED screens that create the sensation of crossing from the real world into a universe of images and symbols. The exhibition features 45 works by Nikas Safronov, showcasing the key stages of his artistic career and the diversity of styles in which he works—from classical painting and symbolism to his signature Dream Vision style, which has long attracted the interest of the global art community. Through light, sound, video installations, and digital solutions that unite tradition and innovation into a single whole, viewers are immersed in the artist’s universe, exploring his thoughts and visions.

A special place is given to works in which Nikas Safronov combines traditional Russian ornamental motifs—Gzhel, Khokhloma, and Palekh—with a new contemporary vision and India’s cultural codes.

A series of paintings created specifically for Indian audiences has already drawn the attention of art critics, who describe these works as “a subtle and intellectual dialogue of cultures, in which Russia speaks with India in the universal language of images and emotions.” The artistic characteristics of both countries are delicately interwoven, while the symbolism reflects a deep philosophical contemplation of shared spiritual values.

The support of Rosneft Oil Company, which for many years has promoted the development of global cultural initiatives, has helped transform Nikas Safronov’s exhibitions in India into a comprehensive multimedia event. The company underscores the significance of the Dream Vision project, confidently noting that it contributes to strengthening relations between the two countries.

Nikas Safronov’s Dream Vision exhibition is open to the public free of charge at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Mumbai from December 30, 2025, to January 15, 2026. The project has already become the central cultural event of the winter season in India, confirming that art—when combined with cutting-edge technologies and supported by responsible business—can create a new reality of humanitarian engagement.

About Nikas Safronov

People’s Artist of the Russian Federation Nikas Safronov is Russia’s most renowned contemporary artist. Over the past ten years, he has held more than 320 exhibitions in Russia and abroad, attracting over one million visitors annually. His work blends classical art, symbolism, and surrealism. He has developed his own distinctive style and unique concept, which he calls Dream Vision. Nikas Safronov is also the author of a painting presented to U.S. President Donald Trump through special envoy Steven Witkoff in April 2025.

About Rosneft Oil Company

Rosneft Oil Company is one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies. It implements large-scale social and cultural projects, making a significant contribution to international humanitarian cooperation. With Rosneft Oil Company participation, interstate cultural dialogue is being developed to strengthen Russia’s position as a global cultural center. The company helps millions of people abroad gain a better understanding of contemporary Russia and become acquainted with its vibrant creative communities and leading figures in the arts.

Dream Vision

Dream Vision: Renowned Russian artist Nikas Safronov to exhibit his work in India for the first time

Dream Vision

Dream Vision: Renowned Russian artist Nikas Safronov to exhibit his work in India for the first time
Russia's most renowned contemporary artist is preparing to hold two solo exhibitions in New Delhi and Mumbai. The exhibitions will strengthen cultural and diplomatic ties between India and Russia and introduce the Indian public to unique paintings created especially for them.

New Delhi, November 2025. In December 2025, India will see the work of People's Artist of Russia Nikas Safronov for the first time. His first exhibition, titled Dream Vision, will be held at the Lalit Kala Academy in New Delhi from December 7 to 21, 2025. The second is scheduled for December 25, 2025, to January 15, 2026, in Mumbai. Rosneft is the official partner of the exhibitions. Both exhibitions are Nikas's gift to the Indian public: admission to the exhibitions will be completely free.
The exhibition is part of Nikas's large-scale international project, which aims to promote art as a form of "soft power" capable of transcending borders and political attitudes, uniting people regardless of cultural and ideological differences. The exhibition is becoming a diplomatic sensation — the most prominent contemporary artist from one of the world's most culturally rich countries is presenting his work as a tool for strengthening relations between India and Russia.
Nikas Safronov will bring 100 paintings to India, created in various styles: classical, symbolist, and cubist, including his signature style — Dream Vision, whose secret no one has yet unraveled. The works will be displayed in 15 different zones. In each zone, visitors will be able to immerse themselves in a new world of contemporary Russian art, using artificial intelligence technologies and modern multimedia equipment to bring his paintings to life.
Nikas has prepared a new series of works especially for the Indian public, reflecting his respect for Indian history and admiration for Indian culture, religion, and mythology. The exhibition includes his reflections on India's rich cultural heritage—from the majestic Taj Mahal and spiritual Varanasi to Nikas's personal interpretations of Hindu mythology. The artist has repeatedly noted his love of Indian films and music since childhood, and his admiration for the country's aesthetics.
Nikas Safronov, People's Artist of Russia:
"It is a great honor for me to present my art in India. In a country with a rich and ancient history and culture, which has repeatedly inspired me, and which for a long time has provided food for thought and creativity for countless artists, including Russian ones. My exhibitions in New Delhi and Mumbai are my way of strengthening the bond between our peoples, of showcasing the beauty of Russia, India, and the world through my art. I am very grateful to my official partner, Rosneft, for sharing my values and helping to show Indian audiences that art speaks a common, universally understood language of positive emotions, that it has the power to transcend borders and unite people."
Nikas Safronov is widely known in the West for his portraits of world celebrities and political leaders, as well as his close friendship with legendary Italian film star Sophia Loren and world cinema icon Ornella Muti. He has painted over 50 heads of state. He has also posed for Sean Connery, Robert De Niro, Steven Spielberg, and many other celebrities. In February 2025, Nikas was a guest of honor at the Vatican, where he presented Pope Francis with his portrait and received the pontiff's blessing to hold exhibitions in Europe—the Vatican, Italy, and Switzerland—as well as around the world, to build cultural bridges between peoples. Furthermore, this year, Nikas's portrait of US President Donald Trump was presented to him as a gift through his special representative, Steve Witkoff.
Entry to both exhibitions is completely free for everyone—this underscores Nikas's desire to show that art can be accessible to everyone. That art lives within each of us. Nikas Safronov's exhibitions in India are an important step in promoting cultural diplomacy not only for Russia but also internationally. These exhibitions will mark the beginning of a series of major international exhibitions planned by the artist. Nikas intends to prove to the world that art builds bridges, fosters respect and understanding, celebrates the beauty of our planet, and helps people connect.

About Nikas Safronov:
People's Artist of Russia Nikas Safronov is the most famous contemporary artist in Russia. Over the past ten years, he has held more than 320 exhibitions in Russia and abroad, attracting over a million visitors annually. Nikas combines classical, symbolic, and surrealist styles in his work. He has developed his own signature style with a unique concept, which he calls "Dream Vision." Nikas is also the author of a painting that was presented to President Donald Trump through Special Representative Steven Witkoff in April 2025.

About Rosneft:
Rosneft is the flagship of the Russian oil industry and one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world. Rosneft not only reliably supplies Russia with energy resources but also implements socially significant projects. The company builds schools and hospitals, residential buildings and sports arenas, transforming the lives of entire regions.

Rosneft supports the development of mass and professional sports, as well as large-scale scientific, educational, and cultural initiatives. The Company also contributes to the development of interstate cultural dialogue. Rosneft helps thousands of people abroad better understand modern Russia and become acquainted with its vibrant creative groups and artists.

In the past two years alone, the Company's support has supported the successful tours of the Mariinsky Theatre in Qatar, the Sretensky Monastery Choir in China, and Tatyana Navka's ice show in India. This year, an exhibition of works by Nikas Safronov was held in two major Indian cities.