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

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

  • To Page Peter Behrens - Art and technology

    Peter Behrens - Art and technology

    LVR-Industriemuseum Peter-Behrens-Bau, Oberhausen
    30. Nov 2025 - 31. Dec 2028
    Discover the life and work of Peter Behrens, a pioneer of modern design, in the newly designed permanent exhibition at the LVR Industrial Museum in Oberhausen.
    Learn more
  • To Page Nach Damaskus...

    Nach Damaskus...

    Museum Folkwang, Essen
    6. Nov 2026 - 21. Feb 2027
    Die Ausstellung „Nach Damaskus … Karl Ernst Osthaus und die islamischen Künste“ im Museum Folkwang beleuchtet die islamische Kunstsammlung des Museumsgründers und ihre Auswirkungen auf Design und Architektur.
    Learn more
  • 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.
    Learn more
  • To Page Ich, Gustave Courbet

    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.
    Learn more
  • To Page Yayoi Kusama. Works from 70 years

    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of the artist Yayoi Kusama at the Museum Ludwig, Cologne, sheds light on seven decades of her work, including unpublished and new works.
    Learn more
  • To Page Emma Talbot meets Johan Thorn Prikker

    Emma Talbot meets Johan Thorn Prikker

    Kaiser Wilhelm Museum, Krefeld
    3. May 2026 - 24. Jan 2027
    In her latest exhibition, British artist Emma Talbot explores Johan Thorn Prikker's monumental mural cycle "Ages of Life", which is on display at the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum in Krefeld.
    Learn more

Music, science, society

  • To Page The power of rules

    The power of rules

    Stiftung Kloster Dalheim - LWL Landesmuseum für Klosterkultur, Lichtenau
    1. May 2026 - 30. May 2027
    The exhibition "The power of rules!" at Dalheim Monastery examines the role of rules in society and invites reflection.
    Learn more
  • To Page SEX NOW

    SEX NOW

    NRW-Forum, Düsseldorf
    30. Nov 2025 - 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
    30. Nov 2025 - 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 Genes - diversity of life

    Genes - diversity of life

    LWL-Museum für Naturkunde, Münster
    30. Nov 2025 - 31. Dec 2025
    Discover the fascinating world of genes in the exhibition "Genes - Diversity of Life" at the LWL Museum of Natural History in Münster.
    Learn more
  • To Page

    Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
    30. Nov 2025 - 6. Apr 2026
    Learn more
  • To Page Think:times! 150 years of the Hermann Monument

    Think:times! 150 years of the Hermann Monument

    Lippisches Landesmuseum, Detmold
    30. 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.
    Learn more
New tips every two months

Insider tips & excursion ideas

Newsletter

Fancy some mail? Then subscribe here to our every two months newsletter with information on special travel offers, selected short tips for short trips and other insider tips for travelling in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Click here to register