Terracotta warriors, Picassos heading to Sydney (original) (raw)

Thursday 14 October 2010Thu 14 Oct 2010 at 1:22am

Sydney-bound: China's famous terracotta warriors. (Philippe Wojazer : Reuters)

Some of the world's most recognisable pieces of art, including China's famous terracotta warriors and a collection of Picasso paintings, are to be exhibited in Sydney as part of a new annual event.

Ten of the life-size warriors and horses, buried more than 2,000 years ago near the city of Xian in northern China, will be on display at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from December to March.

The exhibition will be the first in the Sydney International Art Series, launched today by Events New South Wales, the Art Gallery of NSW and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Also on display at the gallery will be the largest-ever collection of Picassos to come to Australia.

The Museum of Contemporary Art, meanwhile, will host a retrospective of work by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz.

Premier Kristina Keneally says the new event will draw thousands of tourists to Sydney each year.

"Either of these shows in their own right would be cultural attractions, but bringing them together as we are ... (will attract) more than 300,000 visitors to our city, bringing as much as $20 million a year for the NSW economy."

Art Gallery of NSW director Edmund Capon says the Picasso exhibition will likely be the biggest show the gallery has ever hosted.

"We are looking to turn the building upside down in order to accommodate it," he said.