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

Women artists! From Monjé to Münter
Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
18. 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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Comrade Sun
Dortmunder U, Dortmund
18. Dec 2025 - 18. Jan 2026
Culture fans can explore the 'Comrade Sun' exhibition at the Dortmunder U, which combines art, astronomy and theory and sheds light on the role of the cosmos in historical processes.
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Jaana Caspary
Von der Heydt Museum, Wuppertal
18. Dec 2025 - 8. Feb 2026
The Von der Heydt-Museum in Wuppertal is honoring the sculptor Jaana Caspary with a comprehensive exhibition of her abstract sculptures based on everyday objects.
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Vincent van Gogh - Longing
Gaskessel Event GmbH, Wuppertal
18. Dec 2025 - 31. Dec 2025
Explore the virtual art presentation of Vincent van Gogh's works at the Visiodrom in the Gaskessel Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia, on Europe's largest 360-degree screen.
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Franz Marc
Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
12. Sept 2026 - 24. Jan 2027
Art fans discover the bright colors and deeply moving themes of Franz Marc, one of the most important painters of German Expressionism, in an exhibition at the K20 in Düsseldorf.
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The fascination of jewelry. 7000 years of jewelry art at the MAKK
Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Köln
18. 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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Music, science, society

Genes - diversity of life
LWL-Museum für Naturkunde, Münster
18. Dec 2025 - 31. Dec 2025
Discover the fascinating world of genes in the exhibition "Genes - Diversity of Life" at the LWL Museum of Natural History in Münster.
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Meal time! How food connects us
LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur, Herne
18. Dec 2025 - 13. Sept 2026
The exhibition 'Mahlzeit! How food connects us' at the LWL Museum of Archaeology and Culture in Herne examines the cultural history of food and its social significance.
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AMAZONIA - Photographs by SEBASTIÃO SALGADO
Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum: Kulturen der Welt, Köln
18. 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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Udo Lindenberg. Comet-like panic
Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen, Oberhausen
18. 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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Expedition oceans
Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
18. Dec 2025 - 6. Apr 2026
The Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn is presenting an immersive exhibition about the world's oceans, their importance as an ecosystem and climate regulator, and the challenges they face.
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SEX NOW
NRW-Forum, Düsseldorf
18. Dec 2025 - 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.
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