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

The fascination of jewelry. 7000 years of jewelry art at the MAKK
Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Köln
15. 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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Marianna Simnett - Headless
Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR, Brühl
15. May 2026 - 5. Jul 2026
Discover the dreamlike and disturbing worlds of Berlin artist Marianna Simnett in the exhibition 'Headless' at the Max Ernst Museum Brühl.
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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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Emma Talbot meets Johan Thorn Prikker
Kaiser Wilhelm Museum, Krefeld
15. May 2026 - 24. Jan 2027
In her latest exhibition, British artist Emma Talbot explores Johan Thorn Prikker's monumental mural cycle "Ages of Life", which is on display at the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum in Krefeld.
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Visions of Modernism - August Macke and Max Ernst
Museum August Macke Haus, Bonn
15. May 2026 - 23. Aug 2026
The exhibition "Visions of Modernism - August Macke and Max Ernst" at the Museum August Macke Haus Bonn shows the beginnings of Max Ernst and his connection to August Macke.
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Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen, Oberhausen
20. Sept 2026 - 17. Jan 2027
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Music, science, society

Meal time! How food connects us
LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur, Herne, Herne
15. 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
15. 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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Amazônia. Indigenous worlds
Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
15. 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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Wanderlust. On the road with Felix the rabbit
LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur, Münster
15. May 2026 - 13. Sept 2026
The exhibition 'Wanderlustig. On the road with Felix the rabbit' at the LWL-Museum Münster offers an interactive journey around the world through art, culture and sustainable tourism.
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Two million years of migration
Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann
15. 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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ASIA POP
NRW-Forum, Düsseldorf
18. Sept 2026 - 30. 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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Top exhibitions

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

Marianna Simnett - Headless

After Damascus...

Emma Talbot meets Johan Thorn Prikker

Visions of Modernism - August Macke and Max Ernst

Meal time! How food connects us

Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste

Amazônia. Indigenous worlds

Wanderlust. On the road with Felix the rabbit

Two million years of migration

ASIA POP

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