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

Seeing Kollwitz anew
Käthe Kollwitz Museum Köln, Köln
26. Dec 2025 - 15. Mar 2026
Following extensive refurbishment, the Käthe Kollwitz Museum Cologne is presenting the opening exhibition "Kollwitz revisited", which features both classics and rarely shown works by the artist.
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Katharina Sieverding & Joseph Beuys
Museum Schloss Moyland, Bedburg-Hau
11. Oct 2026 - 7. Feb 2027
The special exhibition "Katharina Sieverding & Joseph Beuys - Jeder Mensch ein Künstler..." at Museum Schloss Moyland sheds light on the artists' time together at the Düsseldorf Art Academy and their political and social concerns.
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Women artists! From Monjé to Münter
Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
26. 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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William Kentridge. Triumphs and laments
Museum Folkwang, Essen
26. Dec 2025 - 18. Jan 2026
The exhibition 'William Kentridge. Triumphs and Lamentations' at the Museum Folkwang honors the South African artist on the occasion of his 70th birthday and presents his multifaceted work.
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From Louise Bourgeois to Yoko Ono. Jewelry by female artists
Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Köln
26. Dec 2025 - 26. Apr 2026
The MAKK is presenting a special exhibition of jewelry designs by female artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, including works by Louise Bourgeois and Yoko Ono.
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Marianna Simnett - Headless
Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR, Brühl
31. Jan 2026 - 5. Jul 2026
Discover the dreamlike and disturbing worlds of Berlin artist Marianna Simnett in the exhibition 'Headless' at the Max Ernst Museum Brühl.
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Music, science, society

Udo Lindenberg. Comet-like panic
Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen, Oberhausen
26. 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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AMAZONIA - Photographs by SEBASTIÃO SALGADO
Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum: Kulturen der Welt, Köln
27. Dec 2025 - 15. Mar 2026
The exhibition 'AMAZONIA - Photographs by Sebastião Salgado' at the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum in Cologne presents haunting black and white images of the Amazon region and its inhabitants, accompanied by a sound installation by Jean-Michel Jarre.
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Brave new world of work. 1890-1940
LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn, Bonn
26. 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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The land of a thousand fires
Ruhr Museum, Essen
26. Dec 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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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.
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Democratic cultures in the Sauerland 1925-1975-2025
Sauerland-Museum, Arnsberg
26. Dec 2025 - 12. Apr 2026
The special exhibition at the Sauerland Museum sheds light on the social development of the Sauerland from 1925 to 2025, with a focus on democratic cultures.
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