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

Thomas Baumgärtel - 40 years of banana sprayers
Museum Schloss Moyland, Bedburg-Hau
13. May 2026 - 30. Aug 2026
The large-scale exhibition "Thomas Baumgärtel - 40 years of banana sprayers" will transform the Lower Rhine into a walk-in art landscape spread across 40 locations in 2026.
Learn more
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.
Learn more
Rebecca Horn. Emotion in Motion
Cragg Foundation, Wuppertal
13. May 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.
Learn more
Chained to the Rhythm. Of man and nature
Museumsverein Morsbroich e.V., Leverkusen
13. May 2026 - 7. Jun 2026
The Museum Morsbroich is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a unique exhibition that combines nature and culture and challenges traditional museum rules.
Learn more
Franz Marc
Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
12. Sept 2026 - 24. Jan 2027
Art fans discover the bright colors and deeply moving themes of Franz Marc, one of the most important painters of German Expressionism, in an exhibition at the K20 in Düsseldorf.
Learn more
Marianna Simnett - Headless
Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR, Brühl
13. May 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.
Learn more

Music, science, society

Meal time! How food connects us
LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur, Herne, Herne
13. May 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.
Learn more
Behind Beauty
LWL-Museum Textilwerk, Bocholt
13. May 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.
Learn more
The history of the Lower Rhine
LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel, Wesel
13. May 2026 - 31. Dec 2026
The new permanent exhibition at the LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel sheds light on the history of the Lower Rhine and links regional developments with global themes.
Learn more
Wanderlust. On the road with Felix the rabbit
LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur, Münster
13. May 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.
Learn more
Two million years of migration
Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann
13. May 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.
Learn more
ASIA POP
NRW-Forum, Düsseldorf
18. Sept 2026 - 30. 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.
Learn more