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

Rupprecht Geiger. Color - Light - Energy
Kunstquartier Hagen, Hagen
3. May 2026 - 7. Jun 2026
The exhibition 'Rupprecht Geiger - Color - Light - Energy' at the Emil Schumacher Museum in Hagen presents 70 works by the important color field painter until June 2026.
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Jon Rafman. Main Stream Media
K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
30. May 2026 - 27. Sept 2026
The Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen is presenting the first solo museum exhibition in Germany by Canadian media artist Jon Rafman, which introduces his experimental AI project 'Mainstream Media Network'.
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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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Anish Kapoor
Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg
3. 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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Christo and Jeanne-Claude: un|realized
Kunstmuseum Pablo Picasso Münster, Münster
3. May 2026 - 28. Jun 2026
Discover the unfinished projects of the artist duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude in a unique exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Pablo Picasso Münster.
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The lunar year of the horse
Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln
3. May 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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Music, science, society

The history of the Lower Rhine
LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel, Wesel
3. May 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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Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste
Dortmunder U, Dortmund
3. 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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From the wool
LVR-Industriemuseum / Tuchfabrik Müller, Euskirchen
10. May 2026 - 31. Dec 2026
The 'Von der Wolle' exhibition at the LVR Industrial Museum Tuchfabrik Müller sheds light on the history of wool production and its role in fashion, technology and industrialization.
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Meal time! How food connects us
LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur, Herne, Herne
3. 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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Forest myth
Gasometer Oberhausen, Oberhausen
3. 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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SUPERHEROES - The story of Musiala and Wirtz
Deutsches Fußballmuseum, Dortmund
3. 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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Top exhibitions

Rupprecht Geiger. Color - Light - Energy

Jon Rafman. Main Stream Media

Manifesta 16 Ruhr

Anish Kapoor

Christo and Jeanne-Claude: un|realized

The lunar year of the horse

The history of the Lower Rhine

Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste

From the wool

Meal time! How food connects us

Forest myth

SUPERHEROES - The story of Musiala and Wirtz

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