Tourismus NRW e.V., Bienenwaben Installation im Folkwang Museum in Essen

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

The fascination of jewelry. 7000 years of jewelry art at the MAKK
Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Köln
27. Mar 2026 - 30. Dec 2026
Discover the impressive exhibition 'Fascination Jewelry. 7000 years of jewelry history with 370 exhibits can be admired here.
Learn more
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.
Learn more
The lunar year of the horse
Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln
27. Mar 2026 - 31. Jan 2027
The exhibition "The Lunar Year of the Horse" at the Museum of East Asian Art in Cologne sheds light on the cultural significance of the horse in China, Korea and Japan.
Learn more
Rebecca Horn. Emotion in Motion
Cragg Foundation, Wuppertal
27. Mar 2026 - 30. Aug 2026
A comprehensive retrospective of the works of the late German artist Rebecca Horn is being presented at the Waldfrieden Sculpture Park in Wuppertal.
Learn more
Marianna Simnett - Headless
Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR, Brühl
27. Mar 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.
Learn more
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.
Learn more

Music, science, society

Brave new world of work. 1890-1940
LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn, Bonn
27. Mar 2026 - 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.
Learn more
Amazônia. Indigenous worlds
Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
27. Mar 2026 - 9. Aug 2026
The Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn is presenting the exhibition "Amazônia. Indigenous Worlds", which sheds light on the culture and way of life of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon region.
Learn more
Forest myth
Gasometer Oberhausen, Oberhausen
27. Mar 2026 - 30. Dec 2026
The 'Mythos Wald' exhibition in the Gasometer Oberhausen shows the biodiversity of forests worldwide and raises awareness for their protection.
Learn more
Think:times! 150 years of the Hermann Monument
Lippisches Landesmuseum, Detmold
27. 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.
Learn more
Two million years of migration
Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann
27. Mar 2026 - 1. Nov 2026
The exhibition "Two Million Years of Migration" at the Neanderthal Museum in Mettmann sheds light on the deep-rooted mobility in human history.
Learn more
SUPERHEROES - The story of Musiala and Wirtz
Deutsches Fußballmuseum, Dortmund
27. Mar 2026 - 31. May 2026
In 2026, the German Football Museum presents the exhibition 'SUPERHEROES - The Story of Musiala and Wirtz', a multimedia tribute to the soccer stars.
Learn more

Top exhibitions

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

Katharina Sieverding & Joseph Beuys

The lunar year of the horse

Rebecca Horn. Emotion in Motion

Marianna Simnett - Headless

I, Gustave Courbet

Brave new world of work. 1890-1940

Amazônia. Indigenous worlds

Forest myth

Think:times! 150 years of the Hermann Monument

Two million years of migration

SUPERHEROES - The story of Musiala and Wirtz

Newsletter