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

The fascination of jewelry. 7000 years of jewelry art at the MAKK
Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Köln
6. 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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Queer Modernism. 1900 to 1950
Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
6. Dec 2025 - 15. Feb 2026
The exhibition "Queer Modernism. 1900 to 1950" at the K20 of the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen honors the revolutionary contribution of queer artists to modernism.
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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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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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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of the artist Yayoi Kusama at the Museum Ludwig, Cologne, sheds light on seven decades of her work, including unpublished and new works.
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Women artists! From Monjé to Münter
Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
6. 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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Music, science, society

Democratic cultures in the Sauerland 1925-1975-2025
Sauerland-Museum, Arnsberg
6. 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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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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Brave new world of work. 1890-1940
LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn, Bonn
6. 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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Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
6. Dec 2025 - 6. Apr 2026
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Mahlzeit! Wie uns Essen verbindet
LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur, Herne
6. Dec 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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The land of a thousand fires
,
6. 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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Top exhibitions

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

Queer Modernism. 1900 to 1950

Manifesta 16 Ruhr

Marianna Simnett – Headless

Yayoi Kusama. Works from 70 years

Women artists! From Monjé to Münter

Democratic cultures in the Sauerland 1925-1975-2025

The power of rules

Brave new world of work. 1890-1940

Mahlzeit! Wie uns Essen verbindet

The land of a thousand fires

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