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

Peter Behrens - Art and technology
LVR-Industriemuseum Peter-Behrens-Bau, Oberhausen
17. Jul 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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Niki de Saint Phalle. Dream Machine
Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
10. Sept 2026 - 7. Feb 2027
The exhibition "Niki de Saint Phalle: Dream Machine" at the Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf showcases the diverse body of work by the French-American artist.
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Emma Talbot meets Johan Thorn Prikker
Kaiser Wilhelm Museum, Krefeld
14. Jul 2026 - 24. Jan 2027
In her latest exhibition, British artist Emma Talbot explores Johan Thorn Prikker's monumental mural cycle "Ages of Life", which is on display at the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum in Krefeld.
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Anish Kapoor
Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg
14. Jul 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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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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The fascination of jewelry. 7000 years of jewelry art at the MAKK
Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Köln
14. Jul 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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Music, science, society

Paris: A Place of Refuge
LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn, Bonn
1. Oct 2026 - 24. Jan 2027
The exhibition “Fluchtpunkt Paris” at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn explores the cultural life of Paris in the 1920s and 1930s through the photographs of Gisèle Freund, Rogi André, and Madame d’Ora.
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Meal time! How food connects us
LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur, Herne, Herne
14. Jul 2026 - 13. Sept 2026
The exhibition 'Mahlzeit! How food connects us' at the LWL Museum of Archaeology and Culture in Herne examines the cultural history of food and its social significance.
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Wanderlust. On the road with Felix the rabbit
LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur, Münster
14. Jul 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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Cared for! - Company welfare at GHH
kulturinfo rheinland, Oberhausen
14. 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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ASIA POP
NRW-Forum, Düsseldorf
17. Sept 2026 - 23. 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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The power of rules
Stiftung Kloster Dalheim - LWL Landesmuseum für Klosterkultur, Lichtenau
14. Jul 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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