Bienenwaben Installation im Folkwang Museum in Essen
Tourismus NRW e.V., Bienenwaben Installation im Folkwang Museum in Essen
Ausstellungsansicht der Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen
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

  • To Page Jaana Caspary

    Jaana Caspary

    Von der Heydt Museum, Wuppertal
    11. Dec 2025 - 8. Feb 2026
    The Von der Heydt-Museum in Wuppertal is honoring the sculptor Jaana Caspary with a comprehensive exhibition of her abstract sculptures based on everyday objects.
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  • To Page Queer Modernism. 1900 to 1950

    Queer Modernism. 1900 to 1950

    Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
    11. 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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  • To Page Schöne Anarchie. Johan Thorn Prikker und seine Zeit

    Schöne Anarchie. Johan Thorn Prikker und seine Zeit

    Kunstmuseen Krefeld, Krefeld
    17. May 2026 - 31. Aug 2027
    Die Ausstellung „Schöne Anarchie. Johan Thorn Prikker und seine Zeit“ im Kaiser Wilhelm Museum würdigt den niederländischen Künstler mit einer großen Retrospektive.
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  • To Page Manifesta 16 Ruhr

    Manifesta 16 Ruhr

    Manifesta 16 Ruhr Office, c/o Regionalverband Ruhr, Essen
    21. Jun 2026 - 4. Oct 2026
    Manifesta 16 Ruhr, a major European traveling biennial for contemporary art, will take place in the Ruhr region in 2026 and will use empty post-war churches as exhibition venues.
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  • To Page Ich, Gustave Courbet

    Ich, Gustave Courbet

    Museum Folkwang, Essen
    17. Jul 2026 - 8. Nov 2026
    Die Ausstellung „Ich, Gustave Courbet – Maler und Rebell“ im Museum Folkwang beleuchtet ab Juli 2026 das radikale Schaffen und politische Engagement des französischen Malers Gustave Courbet.
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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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Music, science, society

  • To Page Brave new world of work. 1890-1940

    Brave new world of work. 1890-1940

    LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn, Bonn
    11. Dec 2025 - 12. Apr 2026
    The exhibition "Brave new world of work. 1890-1940" at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn sheds light on the changes in the world of work and their artistic treatment.
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  • To Page

    Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
    11. Dec 2025 - 6. Apr 2026
    Learn more
  • To Page AMAZONIA - Photographs by SEBASTIÃO SALGADO

    AMAZONIA - Photographs by SEBASTIÃO SALGADO

    Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum: Kulturen der Welt, Köln
    11. Dec 2025 - 15. Mar 2026
    The exhibition 'AMAZONIA - Photographs by Sebastião Salgado' at the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum in Cologne presents haunting black and white images of the Amazon region and its inhabitants, accompanied by a sound installation by Jean-Michel Jarre.
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  • To Page The power of rules

    The power of rules

    Stiftung Kloster Dalheim - LWL Landesmuseum für Klosterkultur, Lichtenau
    1. 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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  • To Page Forest myth

    Forest myth

    Gasometer Oberhausen, Oberhausen
    20. Mar 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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  • To Page Germaine Krull: Chien Fou

    Germaine Krull: Chien Fou

    Museum Folkwang, Essen
    11. Dec 2025 - 15. Mar 2026
    Die Ausstellung „Germaine Krull: Chien Fou“ im Museum Folkwang präsentiert das vielseitige Werk der Fotografin und Autorin, mit rund 400 Exponaten aus ihrem Nachlass.
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