AusLeisure

The biggest and most significant collection of masterworks to leave New York City’s prestigious Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is coming to the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).

Set to open in June 2018, the major exhibition of modern and contemporary masterworks will feature close to 150 works, including some never before seen in Australia.

Artists whose works will be on display include Paul Cézanne, Salvador Dalí, Marcel Duchamp, Edward Hopper, Jeff Koons, Henri Matisse, Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Lyubov Popova, Mark Rothko and Vincent van Gogh.

The exhibition will take over the entire ground floor of the St Kilda Road gallery and span 130 years of modern-art history.

Visiting the famed gallery during his official tour of the USA, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews joined MoMA Director Glenn D Lowry and NGV Director Tony Ellwood to announce Victoria had secured 150 works from MoMA’s collection for the National Gallery of Victoria’s 2018 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces.

Announcing the exhibition, Premier Andrews stated “MoMA is one of the most prestigious modern art galleries in the world and its partnership with the NGV is testament to Victoria’s reputation as an international cultural destination.”

“Many of these works have never been to Australia, they rarely leave New York. This exhibition will bring record crowds to the NGV from around the world – that’s great for keeping our bars, restaurants and hotels full, and great for jobs.”

NGV Director Tony Ellwood added “this exciting exhibition will showcase an unparalleled collection of modern and contemporary art and design.

“Our visitors will be able to experience first-hand the momentous change and creativity in the development of modern art, and consequently appreciate contemporary art and design with greater understanding.”

The most ambitious instalment yet of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series, the exhibition is expected to attract thousands of interstate and overseas visitors.

MoMA is arguably the foremost museum of modern art in the world. Its comprehensive collection sees more than 3 million visitors through its doors every year.

The last MoMA collection displayed at the NGV was the William S Paley Collection which travelled between Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth in 1996.

Melbourne Winter Masterpieces is one of Victoria’s hallmark programs, attracting more than five million people to some of our most beloved cultural institutions, and generating more than $475 million in benefit to the state. Since it began in 2004, the series has featured old masters, music icons and great works of modern art.

Masterworks from MoMA will show at NGV International from 8th June to 7th October 2018.

Images: Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews with MoMA Director Glenn D. Lowry (top); the MoMA galleries (middle) and the NGV's St Kilda Road entrance (below).

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