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

Foto: Achim Kukulies, Ausstellungsansicht der Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen

Art heaven, Kant and the climate crisis

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

Marianna Simnett - Headless
Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR, Brühl
10. Feb 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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Rebecca Horn. Emotion in Motion
Cragg Foundation, Wuppertal
14. Mar 2026 - 30. Aug 2026
A comprehensive retrospective of the works of the late German artist Rebecca Horn is being presented at the Waldfrieden Sculpture Park in Wuppertal.
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L'Art d'habiter. The art of living
Kunstmuseen Krefeld, Krefeld
10. Feb 2026 - 15. Mar 2026
First major retrospective in Germany of the French architect Charlotte Perriand, who revolutionized modern living, presented by the Kunstmuseen Krefeld.
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Thomas Schütte
K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
14. Nov 2026 - 18. Apr 2027
Overview of the diverse work of the influential artist Thomas Schütte in the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, including sculptures, watercolors and installations.
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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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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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Music, science, society

SUPERHEROES - The story of Musiala and Wirtz
Deutsches Fußballmuseum, Dortmund
24. Mar 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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1,250 years of Westphalia
LWL-Museum in der Kaiserpfalz, Paderborn
10. Feb 2026 - 28. Feb 2026
Celebration of the 1250th anniversary of Westphalia in 2025 with an anniversary program and exhibitions at the LWL Museum in the Kaiserpfalz in Paderborn. The history and culture of the region are told here.
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AMAZONIA - Photographs by SEBASTIÃO SALGADO
Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum: Kulturen der Welt, Köln
10. Feb 2026 - 15. Mar 2026
The exhibition 'AMAZONIA - Photographs by Sebastião Salgado' at the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum in Cologne presents haunting black and white images of the Amazon region and its inhabitants, accompanied by a sound installation by Jean-Michel Jarre.
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Formula 1® exhibition
FKP Scorpio Entertainment GmbH, Oberhausen
10. Feb 2026 - 12. Apr 2026
The international Formula 1® exhibition in Oberhausen offers a multimedia experience with original racing cars, unpublished material and a racing simulator.
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Behind Beauty
LWL-Museum Textilwerk, Bocholt
10. Feb 2026 - 1. Nov 2026
The exhibition 'Behind Beauty' at the LWL-Museum Textilwerk Bocholt questions ideals of beauty, role models and the role of advertising in the beauty industry.
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Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste
Dortmunder U, Dortmund
28. Mar 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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Top exhibitions

Marianna Simnett - Headless

Rebecca Horn. Emotion in Motion

L'Art d'habiter. The art of living

Thomas Schütte

Jon Rafman. Main Stream Media

After Damascus...

SUPERHEROES - The story of Musiala and Wirtz

1,250 years of Westphalia

AMAZONIA - Photographs by SEBASTIÃO SALGADO

Formula 1® exhibition

Behind Beauty

Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste

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