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

Chained to the Rhythm. Of man and nature
Museumsverein Morsbroich e.V., Leverkusen
12. May 2026 - 7. Jun 2026
The Museum Morsbroich is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a unique exhibition that combines nature and culture and challenges traditional museum rules.
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Monet - Cézanne - Matisse. The Scharf Collection
Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
11. 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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Peter Behrens - Art and technology
LVR-Industriemuseum Peter-Behrens-Bau, Oberhausen
15. May 2026 - 29. Dec 2030
Discover the life and work of Peter Behrens, a pioneer of modern design, in the permanent exhibition at the LVR Industrial Museum in Oberhausen.
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Anish Kapoor
Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg
12. 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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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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Yayoi Kusama. Works from 70 years
Museum Ludwig, Köln
12. May 2026 - 2. Aug 2026
Comprehensive retrospective of the artist Yayoi Kusama at the Museum Ludwig, Cologne, sheds light on seven decades of her work, including unpublished and new works.
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Music, science, society

SUPERHEROES - The story of Musiala and Wirtz
Deutsches Fußballmuseum, Dortmund
12. 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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Two million years of migration
Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann
12. 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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The history of the Lower Rhine
LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel, Wesel
12. 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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Wanderlust. On the road with Felix the rabbit
LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur, Münster
12. 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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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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Amazônia. Indigenous worlds
Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
12. 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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Top exhibitions

Chained to the Rhythm. Of man and nature

Monet - Cézanne - Matisse. The Scharf Collection

Peter Behrens - Art and technology

Anish Kapoor

I, Gustave Courbet

Yayoi Kusama. Works from 70 years

SUPERHEROES - The story of Musiala and Wirtz

Two million years of migration

The history of the Lower Rhine

Wanderlust. On the road with Felix the rabbit

ASIA POP

Amazônia. Indigenous worlds

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