Bienenwaben Installation im Folkwang Museum in Essen
Tourismus NRW e.V., Bienenwaben Installation im Folkwang Museum in Essen
Ausstellungsansicht der Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen
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

  • To Page William Kentridge. Triumphs and laments

    William Kentridge. Triumphs and laments

    Museum Folkwang, Essen
    30. Nov 2025 - 18. Jan 2026
    The exhibition 'William Kentridge. Triumphs and Lamentations' at the Museum Folkwang honors the South African artist on the occasion of his 70th birthday and presents his multifaceted work.
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  • To Page Queer Modernism. 1900 to 1950

    Queer Modernism. 1900 to 1950

    Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
    30. Nov 2025 - 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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  • To Page Manifesta 16 Ruhr

    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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  • To Page Yayoi Kusama. Works from 70 years

    Yayoi Kusama. Works from 70 years

    Museum Ludwig, Köln
    14. Mar 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of the artist Yayoi Kusama at the Museum Ludwig, Cologne, sheds light on seven decades of her work, including unpublished and new works.
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  • To Page Ich, Gustave Courbet

    Ich, Gustave Courbet

    Museum Folkwang, Essen
    17. Jul 2026 - 8. Nov 2026
    Die Ausstellung „Ich, Gustave Courbet – Maler und Rebell“ im Museum Folkwang beleuchtet ab Juli 2026 das radikale Schaffen und politische Engagement des französischen Malers Gustave Courbet.
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  • Genossin Sonne

    Dortmunder U, Dortmund
    30. Nov 2025 - 18. Jan 2026
    Kulturfans erkunden die Ausstellung 'Genossin Sonne' im Dortmunder U, die Kunst, Astronomie und Theorie verbindet und die Rolle des Kosmos in historischen Prozessen beleuchtet.
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Music, science, society

  • To Page Forest myth

    Forest myth

    Gasometer Oberhausen, Oberhausen
    20. Mar 2026 - 30. Dec 2026
    The 'Mythos Wald' exhibition in the Gasometer Oberhausen shows the biodiversity of forests worldwide and raises awareness for their protection.
    Learn more
  • To Page

    Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
    30. Nov 2025 - 6. Apr 2026
    Learn more
  • To Page Think:times! 150 years of the Hermann Monument

    Think:times! 150 years of the Hermann Monument

    Lippisches Landesmuseum, Detmold
    30. Nov 2025 - 26. Apr 2026
    To mark the 150th anniversary of the Hermann Monument, the Lippisches Landesmuseum Detmold is presenting a multimedia exhibition that sheds light on the colossal statue as a symbol of German identity and history.
    Learn more
  • To Page After Hitler. The German confrontation with National Socialism

    After Hitler. The German confrontation with National Socialism

    Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bonn
    30. Nov 2025 - 25. Jan 2026
    The exhibition "After Hitler" at the Haus der Geschichte in Bonn examines Germany's confrontation with National Socialism over generations.
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  • To Page Mahlzeit! Wie uns Essen verbindet

    Mahlzeit! Wie uns Essen verbindet

    LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur, Herne
    30. Nov 2025 - 13. Sept 2026
    Die Ausstellung 'Mahlzeit! Wie Essen uns verbindet' im LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur in Herne untersucht die Kulturgeschichte des Essens und seine soziale Bedeutung.
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  • To Page AMAZONIA - Photographs by SEBASTIÃO SALGADO

    AMAZONIA - Photographs by SEBASTIÃO SALGADO

    Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum: Kulturen der Welt, Köln
    30. Nov 2025 - 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.
    Learn more
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