Bienenwaben Installation im Folkwang Museum in Essen
Tourismus NRW e.V., Bienenwaben Installation im Folkwang Museum in Essen

Top exhibitionsArt heaven, Kant and the climate crisis

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

  • Mathilde Dietrichson, Self-portrait, 1865, oil on canvas, 49.6x37.2 cm, Oslo Museum
    Foto: Rune Aakvik, Oslo Museum, Mathilde Dietrichson, Self-portrait, 1865, oil on canvas, 49.6x37.2 cm, Oslo Museum
    Women artists! From Monjé to Münter
    Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
    25. Sept 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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  • Jianfeng Pan (*1973), Northern Ocean, 2023, ink, xuan paper, 138 x 204 cm
    Foto: Jianfeng Pan / Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Jianfeng Pan (*1973), Northern Ocean, 2023, ink, xuan paper, 138 x 204 cm
    Ink walks
    Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln
    17. Sept 2025 - 9. Nov 2025
    The exhibition 'Ink Walks' at the Museum of East Asian Art in Cologne presents the impressive works on paper by contemporary Chinese artist Jianfeng Pan.
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  • West view of Haus Lange
    Volker Döhne, Kunstmuseen Krefeld, Since 1955, Haus Lange has been known as a place where contemporary, experimental art and architecture come together
    Partly furnished, excellent view
    Kunstmuseen Krefeld, Krefeld
    17. Sept 2025 - 21. Sept 2025
    Celebration of the 70th anniversary of Haus Lange with an exhibition highlighting the interaction between architecture and art through various media.
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  • Jaana Caspary
    Von der Heydt Museum, Wuppertal
    11. Oct 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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  • On the grounds of the Peter Behrens Building, historical machines convey individual work processes in heavy industry
    Tourismus NRW e.V., On the grounds of the Peter Behrens Building, historical machines convey individual work processes in heavy industry
    Peter Behrens - Art and technology
    LVR-Industriemuseum Peter-Behrens-Bau, Oberhausen
    19. Sept 2025 - 31. Dec 2028
    Discover the life and work of Peter Behrens, a pioneer of modern design, in the newly designed permanent exhibition at the LVR Industrial Museum in Oberhausen.
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  • The K20 on Grabbeplatz houses the permanent collection of the art collection as a place of art
    Sebastian Drüen, Kunstsammlung NRW, The K20 on Grabbeplatz houses the permanent collection of the art collection as a place of art
    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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Music, science, society

  • The Hermann Monument is a symbol that has taken on a number of different roles over the course of 150 years
    Tourismus NRW e.V., Foto: Maximilian Hulisz, The Hermann Monument is a symbol that has taken on a number of different roles over the course of 150 years
    Think:times! 150 years of the Hermann Monument
    Lippisches Landesmuseum, Detmold
    22. Nov 2025 - 26. Apr 2026
    To mark the 150th anniversary of the Hermann Monument, the Lippisches Landesmuseum Detmold is presenting a multimedia exhibition that sheds light on the colossal statue as a symbol of German identity and history.
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  • Poster for the exhibition After Hitler. The German confrontation with National Socialism
    Schleiner + Partner Kommunikation, Poster for the exhibition After Hitler. The German confrontation with National Socialism
    After Hitler. The German confrontation with National Socialism
    Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bonn
    17. Sept 2025 - 25. Jan 2026
    The exhibition "After Hitler" at the Haus der Geschichte in Bonn examines Germany's confrontation with National Socialism over generations.
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  • The LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel is the place to go for culture fans who want to find out more about the history of the Lower Rhine region
    LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel, The LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel is the place to go for culture fans who want to find out more about the history of the Lower Rhine region
    The history of the Lower Rhine
    LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel, Wesel
    17. Sept 2025 - 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.
    Learn more
  • Two permanent exhibitions and regular special shows provide insights into the animal and plant world at the LWL Museum of Natural History
    LWL, Oblonczyk, Two permanent exhibitions and regular special shows provide insights into the animal and plant world at the LWL Museum of Natural History
    Genes - diversity of life
    LWL-Museum für Naturkunde, Münster
    17. Sept 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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  • AMAZONIA - Photographs by SEBASTIÃO SALGADO
    Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum: Kulturen der Welt, Köln
    29. Oct 2025 - 15. Mar 2026
    Sebastião Salgado's photography exhibition in Cologne for the first time
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  • The almost completely preserved Dalheim monastery complex is home to the only state museum for monastic cultural history in Germany
    Teutoburger Wald Tourismus, Foto: Dominik Ketz, The almost completely preserved Dalheim monastery complex is home to the only state museum for monastic cultural history in Germany
    The power of rules
    Stiftung Kloster Dalheim - LWL Landesmuseum für Klosterkultur, Lichtenau
    1. May 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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