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 lunar year of the horse
Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln
30. Jun 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.
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Rebecca Horn. Emotion in Motion
Cragg Foundation, Wuppertal
30. Jun 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.
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Marianna Simnett - Headless
Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR, Brühl
30. Jun 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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Manifesta 16 Ruhr
Manifesta 16 Ruhr Office, c/o Regionalverband Ruhr, Essen
30. 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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Hans Georg Esch. The Architectural Gaze
Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Köln
30. Jun 2026 - 27. Sept 2026
The Museum of Applied Arts (MAKK) is dedicating an exhibition to the German photographer Hans Georg Esch, which takes visitors on a visual journey through the history of architecture and the present day.
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Jörg Immendorf
Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
25. Sept 2026 - 10. Jan 2027
The first comprehensive retrospective of the renowned German artist Jörg Immendorff at the Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf, featuring previously unseen works and archival materials.
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Music, science, society

The history of the Lower Rhine
LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel, Wesel
30. Jun 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.
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Paris: A Place of Refuge
LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn, Bonn
1. Oct 2026 - 24. Jan 2027
The exhibition “Fluchtpunkt Paris” at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn explores the cultural life of Paris in the 1920s and 1930s through the photographs of Gisèle Freund, Rogi André, and Madame d’Ora.
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Cared for! - Company welfare at GHH
kulturinfo rheinland, Oberhausen
10. Jul 2026 - 16. May 2027
The photo exhibition "Cared for! - Corporate welfare at GHH" at the LVR Industrial Museum St. Antony-Hütte in Oberhausen sheds light on social responsibility in the industrial history of the Ruhr region.
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Wanderlust. On the road with Felix the rabbit
LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur, Münster
30. Jun 2026 - 13. Sept 2026
The exhibition 'Wanderlustig. On the road with Felix the rabbit' at the LWL-Museum Münster offers an interactive journey around the world through art, culture and sustainable tourism.
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The power of rules
Stiftung Kloster Dalheim - LWL Landesmuseum für Klosterkultur, Lichtenau
30. Jun 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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Two million years of migration
Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann
30. Jun 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.
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