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

I, Gustave Courbet
Museum Folkwang, Essen
22. Jul 2026 - 8. Nov 2026
From July 2026, the exhibition "I, Gustave Courbet - Painter and Rebel" at Museum Folkwang will shed light on the radical work and political commitment of the French painter Gustave Courbet.
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Peter Behrens - Art and technology
LVR-Industriemuseum Peter-Behrens-Bau, Oberhausen
24. 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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Color! Color!
Cragg Foundation, Wuppertal
12. Sept 2026 - 3. Jan 2027
Discover the exhibition “Color! Color!” at the Waldfrieden Sculpture Park in Wuppertal, which showcases the work of the artists Baumeister, Schlemmer, and Krause.
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Along the Color Line
Museum Ludwig, Köln
3. Oct 2026 - 7. Mar 2027
The anniversary exhibition “Along the Color Line” at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne explores the art of the international Black diaspora and its influence on European modernism.
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Layers and Cuts: Chinese Lacquer Art
Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln
22. Jul 2026 - 31. Jan 2027
Kulturfans lernen die faszinierende Welt der chinesischen Lackkunst in der Sonderausstellung „Schichten und Schnitte“ im Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst Köln kennen.
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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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Music, science, society

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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Meal time! How food connects us
LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur, Herne, Herne
22. 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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The history of the Lower Rhine
LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel, Wesel
22. Jul 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.
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From the wool
LVR-Industriemuseum / Tuchfabrik Müller, Euskirchen
22. 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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Forest myth
Gasometer Oberhausen, Oberhausen
22. Jul 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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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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Top exhibitions

I, Gustave Courbet

Peter Behrens - Art and technology

Color! Color!

Along the Color Line

Layers and Cuts: Chinese Lacquer Art

Beautiful & austere: the power of ornamentation

ASIA POP

Meal time! How food connects us

The history of the Lower Rhine

From the wool

Forest myth

PLAYMOBIL – Journey Through Time: Neanderthal

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