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

Jörg Immendorff
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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Layers and Cuts: Chinese Lacquer Art
Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln
9. Jul 2026 - 31. Jan 2027
Kulturfans lernen die faszinierende Welt der chinesischen Lackkunst in der Sonderausstellung „Schichten und Schnitte“ im Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst Köln kennen.
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The lunar year of the horse
Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln
9. Jul 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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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.
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Niki de Saint Phalle. Dream Machine
Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
10. Sept 2026 - 7. Feb 2027
The exhibition "Niki de Saint Phalle: Dream Machine" at the Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf showcases the diverse body of work by the French-American artist.
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After Damascus...
Museum Folkwang, Essen
6. Nov 2026 - 21. Feb 2027
The exhibition "After Damascus ... Karl Ernst Osthaus and the Islamic Arts" at Museum Folkwang sheds light on the museum founder's Islamic art collection and its impact on design and architecture.
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Music, science, society

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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Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste
Dortmunder U, Dortmund
9. Jul 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.
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ASIA POP
NRW-Forum, Düsseldorf
17. Sept 2026 - 23. May 2027
The exhibition 'ASIA POP' at the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf presents the diversity of East Asian pop culture with over 400 exhibits from September 18, 2026.
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Amazônia. Indigenous worlds
Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
9. Jul 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.
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The power of rules
Stiftung Kloster Dalheim - LWL Landesmuseum für Klosterkultur, Lichtenau
9. Jul 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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Survival
Ruhr Museum, Essen
9. Jul 2026 - 5. Sept 2027
The state paleontology exhibition “überLeben” in North Rhine-Westphalia offers insights into prehistoric worlds and shows how life and landscapes have changed over millions of years.
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