Bienenwaben Installation im Folkwang Museum in Essen
Tourismus NRW e.V., Bienenwaben Installation im Folkwang Museum in Essen
Ausstellungsansicht der Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen
Foto: Achim Kukulies, Ausstellungsansicht der Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen

Kusama, Courbet and lots of Monet

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

  • To Page Thomas Schütte

    Thomas Schütte

    K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
    14. Nov 2026 - 18. Apr 2027
    Overview of the diverse work of the influential artist Thomas Schütte in the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, including sculptures, watercolors and installations.
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  • To Page Franz Marc

    Franz Marc

    Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
    12. Sept 2026 - 24. Jan 2027
    Art fans discover the bright colors and deeply moving themes of Franz Marc, one of the most important painters of German Expressionism, in an exhibition at the K20 in Düsseldorf.
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  • To Page Manifesta 16 Ruhr

    Manifesta 16 Ruhr

    Manifesta 16 Ruhr Office, c/o Regionalverband Ruhr, Essen
    21. Jun 2026 - 4. Oct 2026
    Manifesta 16 Ruhr, a major European traveling biennial for contemporary art, will take place in the Ruhr region in 2026 and will use empty post-war churches as exhibition venues.
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  • To Page I, Gustave Courbet

    I, Gustave Courbet

    Museum Folkwang, Essen
    17. Jul 2026 - 8. Nov 2026
    From July 2026, the exhibition "I, Gustave Courbet - Painter and Rebel" at Museum Folkwang will shed light on the radical work and political commitment of the French painter Gustave Courbet.
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  • To Page

    Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen, Oberhausen
    20. Sept 2026 - 17. Jan 2027
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  • To Page The fascination of jewelry. 7000 years of jewelry art at the MAKK

    The fascination of jewelry. 7000 years of jewelry art at the MAKK

    Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Köln
    24. Mar 2026 - 30. Dec 2026
    Discover the impressive exhibition 'Fascination Jewelry. 7000 years of jewelry history with 370 exhibits can be admired here.
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Music, science, society

  • To Page Land and soil

    Land and soil

    K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
    24. Mar 2026 - 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.
    Learn more
  • To Page Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste

    Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste

    Dortmunder U, Dortmund
    28. Mar 2026 - 26. Jul 2026
    Discover the special exhibition 'Müll' at Museum Ostwall, Dortmund, which highlights global waste flows and environmental issues through art since the 1960s.
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  • To Page SEX NOW

    SEX NOW

    NRW-Forum, Düsseldorf
    24. Mar 2026 - 3. May 2026
    The "SEX NOW" exhibition at the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf sheds light on the transformation of the sex industry, sexual self-determination and the role of digital technologies in sexuality.
    Learn more
  • To Page Behind Beauty

    Behind Beauty

    LWL-Museum Textilwerk, Bocholt
    24. Mar 2026 - 1. Nov 2026
    The exhibition 'Behind Beauty' at the LWL-Museum Textilwerk Bocholt questions ideals of beauty, role models and the role of advertising in the beauty industry.
    Learn more
  • To Page Think:times! 150 years of the Hermann Monument

    Think:times! 150 years of the Hermann Monument

    Lippisches Landesmuseum, Detmold
    24. Mar 2026 - 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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  • Wanderlust. On the road with Felix the rabbit

    LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur, Münster
    28. Mar 2026 - 13. Sept 2026
    The exhibition 'Wanderlustig. On the road with Felix the rabbit' at the LWL-Museum Münster offers an interactive journey around the world through art, culture and sustainable tourism.
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