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
16. Jun 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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Katharina Sieverding & Joseph Beuys
Museum Schloss Moyland, Bedburg-Hau
11. Oct 2026 - 7. Feb 2027
The special exhibition "Katharina Sieverding & Joseph Beuys - Jeder Mensch ein Künstler..." at Museum Schloss Moyland sheds light on the artists' time together at the Düsseldorf Art Academy and their political and social concerns.
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The lunar year of the horse
Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln
16. Jun 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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Beautiful & austere: the power of ornamentation
Von der Heydt Museum, Wuppertal
11. Oct 2026 - 14. Feb 2027
The Von der Heydt-Museum in Wuppertal is dedicating an exhibition to the role of ornament, pattern and geometric order in art.
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Jon Rafman. Main Stream Media
K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
16. Jun 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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Anish Kapoor
Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg
16. Jun 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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Music, science, society

Forest myth
Gasometer Oberhausen, Oberhausen
16. Jun 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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The power of rules
Stiftung Kloster Dalheim - LWL Landesmuseum für Klosterkultur, Lichtenau
16. Jun 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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From the wool
LVR-Industriemuseum / Tuchfabrik Müller, Euskirchen
16. Jun 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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Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste
Dortmunder U, Dortmund
16. Jun 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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Cared for! - Company welfare at GHH
kulturinfo rheinland, Oberhausen
10. Jul 2026 - 16. May 2027
The photo exhibition "Cared for! - Corporate welfare at GHH" at the LVR Industrial Museum St. Antony-Hütte in Oberhausen sheds light on social responsibility in the industrial history of the Ruhr region.
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Two million years of migration
Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann
16. Jun 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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Top exhibitions

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

Katharina Sieverding & Joseph Beuys

The lunar year of the horse

Beautiful & austere: the power of ornamentation

Jon Rafman. Main Stream Media

Anish Kapoor

Forest myth

The power of rules

From the wool

Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste

Cared for! - Company welfare at GHH

Two million years of migration

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