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 Seeing Kollwitz anew

    Seeing Kollwitz anew

    Käthe Kollwitz Museum Köln, Köln
    17. Jan 2026 - 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.
    Learn more
  • To Page William Kentridge. Triumphs and laments

    William Kentridge. Triumphs and laments

    Museum Folkwang, Essen
    17. Jan 2026 - 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.
    Learn more
  • 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.
    Learn more
  • To Page Franz Marc

    Franz Marc

    Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
    12. Sept 2026 - 24. Jan 2027
    Art fans discover the bright colors and deeply moving themes of Franz Marc, one of the most important painters of German Expressionism, in an exhibition at the K20 in Düsseldorf.
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  • Rebecca Horn. Emotion in Motion

    Cragg Foundation, Wuppertal
    14. Mar 2026 - 30. Aug 2026
    A comprehensive retrospective of the works of the late German artist Rebecca Horn is being presented at the Waldfrieden Sculpture Park in Wuppertal.
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  • To Page Women artists! From Monjé to Münter

    Women artists! From Monjé to Münter

    Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
    17. Jan 2026 - 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.
    Learn more

Music, science, society

  • To Page Meal time! How food connects us

    Meal time! How food connects us

    LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur, Herne
    17. Jan 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.
    Learn more
  • To Page 1,250 years of Westphalia

    1,250 years of Westphalia

    LWL-Museum in der Kaiserpfalz, Paderborn
    17. Jan 2026 - 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.
    Learn more
  • Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste

    Dortmunder U, Dortmund
    28. Mar 2026 - 26. Jul 2026
    Discover the special exhibition 'Müll' at Museum Ostwall, Dortmund, which highlights global waste flows and environmental issues through art since the 1960s.
    Learn more
  • To Page SEX NOW

    SEX NOW

    NRW-Forum, Düsseldorf
    17. Jan 2026 - 3. May 2026
    The "SEX NOW" exhibition at the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf sheds light on the transformation of the sex industry, sexual self-determination and the role of digital technologies in sexuality.
    Learn more
  • To Page Germaine Krull: Chien Fou

    Germaine Krull: Chien Fou

    Museum Folkwang, Essen
    17. Jan 2026 - 15. Mar 2026
    The exhibition "Germaine Krull: Chien Fou" at Museum Folkwang presents the multifaceted work of the photographer and author, with around 400 exhibits from her estate.
    Learn more
  • To Page The power of rules

    The power of rules

    Stiftung Kloster Dalheim - LWL Landesmuseum für Klosterkultur, Lichtenau
    20. May 2026 - 30. May 2027
    The exhibition "The power of rules!" at Dalheim Monastery examines the role of rules in society and invites reflection.
    Learn more
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