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

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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L'Art d'habiter. Die Kunst des Wohnens
Kunstmuseen Krefeld, Krefeld
5. Dec 2025 - 15. Mar 2026
Erste große Retrospektive der französischen Architektin Charlotte Perriand in Deutschland, die das moderne Wohnen revolutionierte, präsentiert von den Kunstmuseen Krefeld.
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Women artists! From Monjé to Münter
Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
5. Dec 2025 - 1. Feb 2026
The exhibition at the Kunstpalast Düsseldorf honors 30 female artists of the 19th and 20th centuries who created important works despite social obstacles.
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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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Peter Behrens - Art and technology
LVR-Industriemuseum Peter-Behrens-Bau, Oberhausen
5. Dec 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.
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The fascination of jewelry. 7000 years of jewelry art at the MAKK
Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Köln
5. Dec 2025 - 30. Dec 2025
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

SEX NOW
NRW-Forum, Düsseldorf
5. Dec 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.
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Land and soil
K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
5. Dec 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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Brave new world of work. 1890-1940
LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn, Bonn
5. Dec 2025 - 12. Apr 2026
The exhibition "Brave new world of work. 1890-1940" at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn sheds light on the changes in the world of work and their artistic treatment.
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Udo Lindenberg. Comet-like panic
Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen, Oberhausen
5. Dec 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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Genes - diversity of life
LWL-Museum für Naturkunde, Münster
5. Dec 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.
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1,250 years of Westphalia
LWL-Museum in der Kaiserpfalz, Paderborn
5. Dec 2025 - 28. Feb 2026
Celebration of the 1250th anniversary of Westphalia in 2025 with an anniversary program and exhibitions at the LWL Museum in the Kaiserpfalz in Paderborn. The history and culture of the region are told here.
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