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

Marianna Simnett - Headless
Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR, Brühl
21. 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.
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Chained to the Rhythm. Of man and nature
Museumsverein Morsbroich e.V., Leverkusen
21. 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.
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Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen, Oberhausen
20. Sept 2026 - 17. Jan 2027
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Thomas Baumgärtel - 40 years of banana sprayers
Museum Schloss Moyland, Bedburg-Hau
21. 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.
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Anish Kapoor
Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg
21. May 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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Monet - Master of Impressionism
Phoenix des Lumières, Dortmund
21. May 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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Music, science, society

Meal time! How food connects us
LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur, Herne, Herne
21. 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.
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From the wool
LVR-Industriemuseum / Tuchfabrik Müller, Euskirchen
21. 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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Forest myth
Gasometer Oberhausen, Oberhausen
21. May 2026 - 30. Dec 2026
The 'Mythos Wald' exhibition in the Gasometer Oberhausen shows the biodiversity of forests worldwide and raises awareness for their protection.
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Two million years of migration
Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann
21. 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.
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The power of rules
Stiftung Kloster Dalheim - LWL Landesmuseum für Klosterkultur, Lichtenau
21. May 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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Behind Beauty
LWL-Museum Textilwerk, Bocholt
21. 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.
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Top exhibitions

Marianna Simnett - Headless

Chained to the Rhythm. Of man and nature

Thomas Baumgärtel - 40 years of banana sprayers

Anish Kapoor

Monet - Master of Impressionism

Meal time! How food connects us

From the wool

Forest myth

Two million years of migration

The power of rules

Behind Beauty

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