MELBOURNE.- To celebrate the final weeks of the world-premiere Melbourne Winter Masterpieces® exhibition The Picasso Century, the NGV will extend opening hours from 24 September to 9 October, offering visitors greater opportunity to view over 80 works by Pablo Picasso alongside over 100 works by more than 50 of his contemporaries.

Exclusively developed for the NGV by the Centre Pompidou and the Musée national Picasso-Paris, The Picasso Century presents extraordinary artworks seldom seen in Australia by some of the most prominent names in twentieth century art history, including Georges Braque, Salvador Dalí, Françoise Gilot, Marie Laurencin, Dora Maar, Henri Matisse, Dorothea Tanning and many more.

From 24 September to 8 October, NGV International’s ground floor will be open an hour early from 9.00 am. On 9 October, the final day of the exhibition, audiences will also have access to late-night viewing with the Gallery opening from 9.00 am until 10.00 pm.

Since The Picasso Century opened on 10 June, almost a quarter of visitors have travelled from interstate, representing the highest proportion of interstate visitors to an NGV Melbourne Winter Masterpieces® exhibition since 2015.

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said, ‘The return of so many travellers to Victoria signals the revitalised strength of our creative industries. Major cultural events such as The Picasso Century continue to be a major drawcard for Victoria, underscoring what makes the state such an appealing destination to visitors from across the world.’

Tony Ellwood AM, Director, NGV said, ‘The NGV is thrilled with the enthusiastic response we’ve received from local and visiting audiences who have shared their delight in viewing remarkable works by Picasso in dialogue with a rich selection of works from his contemporaries. With three weeks until the close of The Picasso Century, we look forward to welcoming more visitors throughout our extended opening hours and the upcoming school holiday period.’

The final weeks of the exhibition will feature a stimulating array of performances and talks to complement The Picasso Century experience including MSO at NGV: Music of Picasso’s Century on Thursday 6 October. Under the stained-glass ceiling of the Great Hall, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will perform a musical selection inspired by Picasso’s relationship with Spain and France, and close relationships with his contemporaries including Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. Supported by Principal Partner Telstra, the program also features an exhibition introduction by NGV Assistant Curator of International Exhibition Projects, Meg Slater, an after-hours viewing of The Picasso Century, and a glass of Yering Station wine on arrival.

On Saturday 24 September, contemporary Australian artist Ben Quilty will be in conversation with NGV Senior Curator of International Art, Dr Ted Gott, for Love, Grief, War & The Weeping Woman. This talk will explore their perspectives on how art can draw attention to important current events while reflecting on deeply personal emotions. Referencing Picasso’s Weeping woman, 1937, which expressed anguish and despair during the Spanish Civil War, Quilty will share his perspective on utilising art to depict individual experiences connected to global issues. Quilty will draw on his experience as an artist dedicated to documenting the human condition, and his role as an official war artist with The Australian War Memorial.

The Saturday Series program presents lectures by experts in art, culture and history from the University of Melbourne as they discuss the world of Pablo Picasso and his contemporaries. On 1 October, Confluence of Culture: Picasso, France, Spain and the Diaspora, led by Jane Eckett, Postdoctoral Researcher and Teaching Associate, Art History, University of Melbourne, will examine the cultural influences that inspired Picasso’s practice by exploring Spanish and French art, as well as the art of African and Oceanic cultures, all of which were instrumental to the artist’s work.

For the final installment of the Saturday Series on 8 October, Dr Stephen Haley, Senior Lecturer, Victorian College of the Arts, will present Modernity through the lens of Picasso, discussing how innovation and broader periods of social change were integral to the development of Picasso’s practice.