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

Visions of Modernism - August Macke and Max Ernst
Museum August Macke Haus, Bonn
8. Jul 2026 - 23. Aug 2026
The exhibition "Visions of Modernism - August Macke and Max Ernst" at the Museum August Macke Haus Bonn shows the beginnings of Max Ernst and his connection to August Macke.
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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.
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Arts, Crafts, and Bridge
Kunstmuseen Krefeld, Krefeld
4. Oct 2026 - 7. Mar 2027
The exhibition "Kunst Hand Werk Brücke" showcases the arts and crafts of the Brücke group of artists at Haus Lange, part of the Krefeld Art Museums.
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Rubens and His Workshop
Siegerlandmuseum, Siegen
25. Apr 2027 - 18. Jul 2027
The special exhibition “Rubens and His Workshop” at the Siegerlandmuseum celebrates the 450th birthday of the Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens with national and international loans.
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Jon Rafman. Main Stream Media
K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
8. Jul 2026 - 27. Sept 2026
The Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen is presenting the first solo museum exhibition in Germany by Canadian media artist Jon Rafman, which introduces his experimental AI project 'Mainstream Media Network'.
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The fascination of jewelry. 7000 years of jewelry art at the MAKK
Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Köln
8. 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

Survival
Ruhr Museum, Essen
8. Jul 2026 - 5. Sept 2027
The state paleontology exhibition “überLeben” in North Rhine-Westphalia offers insights into prehistoric worlds and shows how life and landscapes have changed over millions of years.
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Wanderlust. On the road with Felix the rabbit
LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur, Münster
8. 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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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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PLAYMOBIL – Journey Through Time: Neanderthal
Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann
21. Nov 2026 - 31. Oct 2027
The Neanderthal Museum presents the history of Neanderthals through detailed PLAYMOBIL dioramas in the special exhibition “PLAYMOBIL – A Journey Through Time to Neanderthal Times.”
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Behind Beauty
LWL-Museum Textilwerk, Bocholt
8. Jul 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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From the wool
LVR-Industriemuseum / Tuchfabrik Müller, Euskirchen
8. Jul 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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Top exhibitions

Visions of Modernism - August Macke and Max Ernst

Thomas Schütte

Arts, Crafts, and Bridge

Rubens and His Workshop

Jon Rafman. Main Stream Media

The fascination of jewelry. 7000 years of jewelry art at the MAKK

Survival

Wanderlust. On the road with Felix the rabbit

Paris: A Place of Refuge

PLAYMOBIL – Journey Through Time: Neanderthal

Behind Beauty

From the wool

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