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

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 secret power of fragrances
Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
5. Feb 2026 - 8. Mar 2026
Guests follow the history of fragrance in a unique exhibition at the Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf, which combines art, culture and the olfactory experience.
Learn more
Peter Behrens - Art and technology
LVR-Industriemuseum Peter-Behrens-Bau, Oberhausen
6. Feb 2026 - 29. Dec 2030
Discover the life and work of Peter Behrens, a pioneer of modern design, in the permanent exhibition at the LVR Industrial Museum in Oberhausen.
Learn more
Queer Modernism. 1900 to 1950
Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
5. Feb 2026 - 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.
Learn more
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.
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

Formula 1® exhibition
FKP Scorpio Entertainment GmbH, Oberhausen
5. Feb 2026 - 12. Apr 2026
The international Formula 1® exhibition in Oberhausen offers a multimedia experience with original racing cars, unpublished material and a racing simulator.
Learn more
The history of the Lower Rhine
LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel, Wesel
5. Feb 2026 - 31. Dec 2026
The new permanent exhibition at the LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel sheds light on the history of the Lower Rhine and links regional developments with global themes.
Learn more
Brave new world of work. 1890-1940
LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn, Bonn
5. Feb 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
Germaine Krull: Chien Fou
Museum Folkwang, Essen
5. Feb 2026 - 15. Mar 2026
The exhibition "Germaine Krull: Chien Fou" at Museum Folkwang presents the multifaceted work of the photographer and author, with around 400 exhibits from her estate.
Learn more
Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste
Dortmunder U, Dortmund
28. Mar 2026 - 26. Jul 2026
Discover the special exhibition 'Müll' at Museum Ostwall, Dortmund, which highlights global waste flows and environmental issues through art since the 1960s.
Learn more
SEX NOW
NRW-Forum, Düsseldorf
5. Feb 2026 - 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