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

Foto: Achim Kukulies, Ausstellungsansicht der Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen

Art heaven, Kant and the climate crisis

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

Queer Modernism. 1900 to 1950
Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
9. Dec 2025 - 15. Feb 2026
The exhibition "Queer Modernism. 1900 to 1950" at the K20 of the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen honors the revolutionary contribution of queer artists to modernism.
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Astrid Lindgrens Welt in Bildern
Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen, Oberhausen
20. Sept 2026 - 17. Jan 2027
Die LUDWIGGALERIE Schloss Oberhausen präsentiert die Welt von Astrid Lindgren, ihre Werke und Illustrationen in einer einzigartigen Ausstellung.
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L'Art d'habiter. Die Kunst des Wohnens
Kunstmuseen Krefeld, Krefeld
9. Dec 2025 - 15. Mar 2026
Erste große Retrospektive der französischen Architektin Charlotte Perriand in Deutschland, die das moderne Wohnen revolutionierte, präsentiert von den Kunstmuseen Krefeld.
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Seeing Kollwitz anew
Käthe Kollwitz Museum Köln, Köln
9. Dec 2025 - 15. Mar 2026
Following extensive refurbishment, the Käthe Kollwitz Museum Cologne is presenting the opening exhibition "Kollwitz revisited", which features both classics and rarely shown works by the artist.
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Peter Behrens - Art and technology
LVR-Industriemuseum Peter-Behrens-Bau, Oberhausen
12. Dec 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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Vincent van Gogh - Longing
Gaskessel Event GmbH, Wuppertal
10. Dec 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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Music, science, society

1,250 years of Westphalia
LWL-Museum in der Kaiserpfalz, Paderborn
9. Dec 2025 - 28. Feb 2026
Celebration of the 1250th anniversary of Westphalia in 2025 with an anniversary program and exhibitions at the LWL Museum in the Kaiserpfalz in Paderborn. The history and culture of the region are told here.
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The land of a thousand fires
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9. Dec 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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Amazônia. Indigene Welten
Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
13. Mar 2026 - 9. Aug 2026
Die Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn präsentiert die Ausstellung „Amazônia. Indigene Welten“, die die Kultur und Lebensweise der indigenen Völker des Amazonasgebietes beleuchtet.
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Genes - diversity of life
LWL-Museum für Naturkunde, Münster
9. Dec 2025 - 31. Dec 2025
Discover the fascinating world of genes in the exhibition "Genes - Diversity of Life" at the LWL Museum of Natural History in Münster.
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Formula 1® exhibition
FKP Scorpio Entertainment GmbH, Oberhausen
9. Dec 2025 - 22. Mar 2026
The international Formula 1® exhibition in Oberhausen offers a multimedia experience with original racing cars, unpublished material and a racing simulator.
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Democratic cultures in the Sauerland 1925-1975-2025
Sauerland-Museum, Arnsberg
9. Dec 2025 - 12. Apr 2026
The special exhibition at the Sauerland Museum sheds light on the social development of the Sauerland from 1925 to 2025, with a focus on democratic cultures.
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