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

Queer Modernism. 1900 to 1950
Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
11. Feb 2026 - 15. Feb 2026
The exhibition "Queer Modernism. 1900 to 1950" at the K20 of the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen honors the revolutionary contribution of queer artists to modernism.
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Monet - Master of Impressionism
Phoenix des Lumières, Dortmund
11. Feb 2026 - 30. Jun 2026
The immersive exhibition 'Monet - Master of Impressionism' in Dortmund presents over 200 works by Claude Monet, complemented by a short format on Henri Rousseau.
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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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Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen, Oberhausen
20. Sept 2026 - 17. Jan 2027
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Manifesta 16 Ruhr
Manifesta 16 Ruhr Office, c/o Regionalverband Ruhr, Essen
21. Jun 2026 - 4. Oct 2026
Manifesta 16 Ruhr, a major European traveling biennial for contemporary art, will take place in the Ruhr region in 2026 and will use empty post-war churches as exhibition venues.
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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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Music, science, society

Brave new world of work. 1890-1940
LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn, Bonn
11. Feb 2026 - 12. Apr 2026
The exhibition "Brave new world of work. 1890-1940" at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn sheds light on the changes in the world of work and their artistic treatment.
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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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Germaine Krull: Chien Fou
Museum Folkwang, Essen
11. Feb 2026 - 15. Mar 2026
The exhibition "Germaine Krull: Chien Fou" at Museum Folkwang presents the multifaceted work of the photographer and author, with around 400 exhibits from her estate.
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From the wool
LVR-Industriemuseum / Tuchfabrik Müller, Euskirchen
10. May 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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The land of a thousand fires
Ruhr Museum, Essen
11. Feb 2026 - 14. Feb 2026
The exhibition "The Land of a Thousand Fires" at the Ruhr Museum shows the fascination of heavy industry for artists since the 19th century.
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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

Queer Modernism. 1900 to 1950

Monet - Master of Impressionism

After Damascus...

Manifesta 16 Ruhr

Thomas Schütte

Brave new world of work. 1890-1940

SUPERHEROES - The story of Musiala and Wirtz

Germaine Krull: Chien Fou

From the wool

The land of a thousand fires

Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste

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