Tourismus NRW e.V., Bienenwaben Installation im Folkwang Museum in Essen

Foto: Achim Kukulies, Ausstellungsansicht der Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen

Art heaven, Kant and the climate crisis

Top exhibitions

The museums in North Rhine-Westphalia offer a wide range of exciting exhibitions with different focal points. Art and culture enthusiasts can look forward to works by renowned painters, sculptors and photographers. Institutions show exhibits on important music groups. Historical events, historical personalities and social phenomena also play a role. Below you will find an overview of the top exhibitions on offer this year. They are divided into the areas of "Art, Design, Architecture" and "Music, Science, Society".

Art, design, architecture

Yayoi Kusama. Works from 70 years
Museum Ludwig, Köln
14. Mar 2026 - 2. Aug 2026
Comprehensive retrospective of the artist Yayoi Kusama at the Museum Ludwig, Cologne, sheds light on seven decades of her work, including unpublished and new works.
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Five friends
Museum Ludwig, Köln
28. Nov 2025 - 11. Jan 2026
The exhibition "Five Friends" at the Museum Ludwig sheds light on the relationships and influence of five influential artists of the 20th century on post-war art.
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Marianna Simnett – Headless
Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR, Brühl
31. Jan 2026 - 5. Jul 2026
Entdecken Sie die traumhaften und verstörenden Welten der Berliner Künstlerin Marianna Simnett in der Ausstellung 'Headless' im Max Ernst Museum Brühl.
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Monet – Cézanne – Matisse. The Scharf Collection
Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
12. Mar 2026 - 9. Aug 2026
Kulturfans erkunden die Scharf Collection im Kunstpalast Düsseldorf, eine beeindruckende Sammlung französischer und internationaler Kunst vom 19. bis 21. Jahrhundert.
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Ich, Gustave Courbet
Museum Folkwang, Essen
17. Jul 2026 - 8. Nov 2026
Die Ausstellung „Ich, Gustave Courbet – Maler und Rebell“ im Museum Folkwang beleuchtet ab Juli 2026 das radikale Schaffen und politische Engagement des französischen Malers Gustave Courbet.
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Jaana Caspary
Von der Heydt Museum, Wuppertal
28. Nov 2025 - 8. Feb 2026
The Von der Heydt-Museum in Wuppertal is honoring the sculptor Jaana Caspary with a comprehensive exhibition of her abstract sculptures based on everyday objects.
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Music, science, society

Udo Lindenberg. Comet-like panic
Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen, Oberhausen
28. Nov 2025 - 18. Jan 2026
Discover the 'Udoversum' in a comprehensive exhibition about the musician and artist Udo Lindenberg in the Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen.
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Amazônia. Indigene Welten
Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
13. Mar 2026 - 9. Aug 2026
Die Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn präsentiert die Ausstellung „Amazônia. Indigene Welten“, die die Kultur und Lebensweise der indigenen Völker des Amazonasgebietes beleuchtet.
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Land and soil
K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
29. Nov 2025 - 19. Apr 2026
The exhibition "Grund und Boden" at the K21 of the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen reflects on the use and management of resources in modern societies. It invites discussion about a sustainable future.
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The land of a thousand fires
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28. Nov 2025 - 14. Feb 2026
The exhibition "The Land of a Thousand Fires" at the Ruhr Museum shows the fascination of heavy industry for artists since the 19th century.
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Think:times! 150 years of the Hermann Monument
Lippisches Landesmuseum, Detmold
28. Nov 2025 - 26. Apr 2026
To mark the 150th anniversary of the Hermann Monument, the Lippisches Landesmuseum Detmold is presenting a multimedia exhibition that sheds light on the colossal statue as a symbol of German identity and history.
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Mahlzeit! Wie uns Essen verbindet
LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur, Herne
28. Nov 2025 - 13. Sept 2026
Die Ausstellung 'Mahlzeit! Wie Essen uns verbindet' im LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur in Herne untersucht die Kulturgeschichte des Essens und seine soziale Bedeutung.
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