Tourismus NRW e.V., Bienenwaben Installation im Folkwang Museum in Essen

Top exhibitionsArt heaven, Kant and the climate crisis

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

Tourismus NRW e.V., On the grounds of the Peter Behrens Building, historical machines convey individual work processes in heavy industry
Peter Behrens - Art and technology
LVR-Industriemuseum Peter-Behrens-Bau, Oberhausen
2. May 2025 - 31. Dec 2028
Discover the life and work of Peter Behrens, a pioneer of modern design, in the newly designed permanent exhibition at the LVR Industrial Museum in Oberhausen.
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William Kentridge, 2024, William Kentridge, drawing for the self-portrait As a Coffee Pot (2 Private Thoughts), 2021
William Kentridge. Triumphs and laments
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4. Sept 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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Anne Orthen, The collection of the Kunstpalast impresses with its diversity and quality and is estimated at more than 130,000 objects
Women artists! From Monjé to Münter
Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
25. Sept 2025 - 1. Feb 2026
The exhibition at the Kunstpalast Düsseldorf honors 30 female artists of the 19th and 20th centuries who created important works despite social obstacles.
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VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2024, Marc Chagall, The Violinist, 1911, Le violoniste, oil on canvas, 94.5 × 69.5 cm, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Photo: Achim Kukulies, Düsseldorf
Chagall
Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
30. Apr 2025 - 10. Aug 2025
The Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen is presenting a comprehensive exhibition of the early works of the Russian-French painter Marc Chagall, highlighting his experiments with Fauvism and Cubism as well as his connection with Jewish motifs and Russian folklore.
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Visiodrom GmbH, Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night looks more than impressive on the Visiodrom's 360-degree screen
Vincent van Gogh - Longing
Gaskessel Event GmbH, Wuppertal
30. Apr 2025 - 31. Dec 2025
Explore the virtual art presentation of Vincent van Gogh's works at the Visiodrom in the Gaskessel Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia, on Europe's largest 360-degree screen.
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The fascination of lacquer - art from Asia and Europe
LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur, Münster
30. Apr 2025 - 27. Jul 2025
The exhibition "The Fascination of Lacquer - Art from Asia and Europe" at the LWL-Museum Münster shows the diversity of lacquer art and its role in global trade relations.
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Paula Rego Estate, Paula Rego, Love, 1995, Pastel on paper on aluminum, 120 × 160 cm, Courtesy The Estate of Paula Rego and Victoria Miro
Paula Rego. The Personal is Political
Museum Folkwang, Essen
16. May 2025 - 7. Sept 2025
The Museum Folkwang in Essen is presenting a comprehensive retrospective of the works of Portuguese-British artist Paula Rego from May 2025.
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Tourismus NRW e.V., Museum Schloss Moyland has the world's largest collection of Joseph Beuys' work
Marina Abramović and MAI in dialog with Joseph Beuys
Museum Schloss Moyland, Bedburg-Hau
13. Jul 2025 - 12. Oct 2025
The Marina Abramović Institute is designing an art program at Museum Schloss Moyland based on artistic research in the Beuys archive and the museum's collection.
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Sumi Anjuman, Sumi Anjuman, I am the Mother too, 2019, on permanent loan from the Friends of the Kunstpalast
MAMA. From Maria to Merkel
Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
30. Apr 2025 - 3. Aug 2025
The exhibition 'MAMA. From Maria to Merkel' at the Kunstpalast Düsseldorf sheds light on the facets and cultural concepts of motherhood through the centuries.
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Music, science, society

LVR-Industriemuseum, Fotografin: Anne Winterer, Couple in front of industrial plant
Anne Winterer - Rhineland and Ruhr region in view
LVR-Industriemuseum St. Antony-Hütte, Oberhausen
30. Apr 2025 - 22. Jun 2025
The exhibition 'Anne Winterer - Rheinland und Ruhrgebiet im Blick' at the LVR Industrial Museum shows over 60 photographs from the 1920s and 1930s, which offer a unique insight into people's lives at that time.
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Tobias Friedrich, The award-winning underwater photographer Tobias Friedrich has captured a blue shark in a picture. Guests can now marvel at the photo
Planet Ocean
Gasometer Oberhausen, Oberhausen
30. Apr 2025 - 30. Nov 2025
The 'Planet Ocean' exhibition in the Gasometer Oberhausen presents the beauty of the world's oceans through large-format photographs, films and immersive installations.
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LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel, The LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel is the place to go for culture fans who want to find out more about the history of the Lower Rhine region
The history of the Lower Rhine
LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel, Wesel
30. Apr 2025 - 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.
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H. Neumann, The exhibition at the Neanderthal Museum focuses on the life stories of individual Neanderthal women. Life-size figures illustrate what they looked like
Stereotypical Neanderthal
Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann
30. Apr 2025 - 31. Aug 2025
The special exhibition "Stereotypical Neanderthals" at the Neanderthal Museum sheds light on the diversity of prehistoric communities and offers emotional insights into the life of the Neanderthals.
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Schleiner + Partner Kommunikation, Poster for the exhibition After Hitler. The German confrontation with National Socialism
After Hitler. The German confrontation with National Socialism
Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bonn
30. Apr 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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Land and soil
Kunstsammlung NRW | K21 Ständehaus, Düsseldorf
29. Nov 2025 - 19. Apr 2026
The exhibition "Grund und Boden" at the K21 of the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen reflects on the use and management of resources in modern societies. It invites discussion about a sustainable future.
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Günter Netzer - the seventies
Deutsches Fußballmuseum, Dortmund
30. Apr 2025 - 30. Sept 2025
The special exhibition at the German Football Museum in Dortmund celebrates the golden age of soccer in the 1970s and the career of Günter Netzer, the first pop icon of German soccer.
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Ruhr Museum; Foto: Deimel + Wittmar, View of the exhibition The Land of a Thousand Fires. Industrial pictures from the Ludwig Schönefeld Collection
The land of a thousand fires
Ruhr Museum, Essen
30. Apr 2025 - 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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J.H. Darchinger/Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Room attendant in the plenary chamber of the German Bundestag, 17.6.1971
Jupp Darchinger. The eye of the republic
LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn, Bonn
12. Jun 2025 - 14. Sept 2025
The anniversary exhibition "Jupp Darchinger. The Eye of the Republic" at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn honors the photographer who documented the Bonn Republic.
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Top exhibitionsArt heaven, Kant and the climate crisis

Art, design, architecture

Music, science, society

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