Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) in Victoria, Australia, will host the exhibition "Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso" from 23 May to 20 September 2026. The show features 37 paintings and sculptures from Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, including works by masters such as Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Salvador Dalí. Many of these works are part of a major philanthropic gift from New York-based collectors Julian and Josie Robertson, donated to the Auckland gallery in 2023, and have never before been shown in Australia.
The exhibition matters because it brings a landmark collection of modern art—spanning Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, Cubism, Surrealism, and post-war abstraction—to a regional Australian audience for the first time. It highlights the growing trend of international institutions touring significant works beyond major metropolitan centers, expanding access to art. The Robertson gift also underscores the role of private collectors in shaping public art collections and cultural exchange between New Zealand and Australia.