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

Rebecca Horn. Emotion in Motion
Cragg Foundation, Wuppertal
6. May 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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Anish Kapoor
Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg
6. May 2026 - 30. Aug 2026
Discover Anish Kapoor's most extensive exhibition in Germany for over a decade, highlighting his life's work at the Lehmbruck Museum.
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Monet - Cézanne - Matisse. The Scharf Collection
Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
6. May 2026 - 9. Aug 2026
Culture fans can explore the Scharf Collection in the Kunstpalast Düsseldorf, an impressive collection of French and international art from the 19th to the 21st century.
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Beautiful anarchy. Johan Thorn Prikker and his time
Kunstmuseen Krefeld, Krefeld
17. May 2026 - 27. Jun 2027
The exhibition "Beautiful Anarchy. Johan Thorn Prikker and his time" at the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum pays tribute to the Dutch artist with a major retrospective.
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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.
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The fascination of jewelry. 7000 years of jewelry art at the MAKK
Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Köln
6. May 2026 - 30. Dec 2026
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

Two million years of migration
Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann
6. May 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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Amazônia. Indigenous worlds
Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
6. May 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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Meal time! How food connects us
LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur, Herne, Herne
6. May 2026 - 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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Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste
Dortmunder U, Dortmund
6. May 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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SUPERHEROES - The story of Musiala and Wirtz
Deutsches Fußballmuseum, Dortmund
6. May 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.
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Forest myth
Gasometer Oberhausen, Oberhausen
6. May 2026 - 30. Dec 2026
The 'Mythos Wald' exhibition in the Gasometer Oberhausen shows the biodiversity of forests worldwide and raises awareness for their protection.
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Top exhibitions

Rebecca Horn. Emotion in Motion

Anish Kapoor

Monet - Cézanne - Matisse. The Scharf Collection

Beautiful anarchy. Johan Thorn Prikker and his time

Manifesta 16 Ruhr

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

Two million years of migration

Amazônia. Indigenous worlds

Meal time! How food connects us

Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste

SUPERHEROES - The story of Musiala and Wirtz

Forest myth

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