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

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
Marianna Simnett - Headless
Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR, Brühl
2. May 2026 - 5. Jul 2026
Discover the dreamlike and disturbing worlds of Berlin artist Marianna Simnett in the exhibition 'Headless' at the Max Ernst Museum Brühl.
Learn more
Emma Talbot meets Johan Thorn Prikker
Kaiser Wilhelm Museum, Krefeld
3. May 2026 - 24. Jan 2027
In her latest exhibition, British artist Emma Talbot explores Johan Thorn Prikker's monumental mural cycle "Ages of Life", which is on display at the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum in Krefeld.
Learn more
Monet - Master of Impressionism
Phoenix des Lumières, Dortmund
2. May 2026 - 30. Jun 2026
The immersive exhibition 'Monet - Master of Impressionism' in Dortmund presents over 200 works by Claude Monet, complemented by a short format on Henri Rousseau.
Learn more
Peter Behrens - Art and technology
LVR-Industriemuseum Peter-Behrens-Bau, Oberhausen
2. May 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.
Learn more
Chained to the Rhythm. Of man and nature
Museumsverein Morsbroich e.V., Leverkusen
2. May 2026 - 7. Jun 2026
The Museum Morsbroich is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a unique exhibition that combines nature and culture and challenges traditional museum rules.
Learn more

Music, science, society

Meal time! How food connects us
LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur, Herne, Herne
2. May 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
Wanderlust. On the road with Felix the rabbit
LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur, Münster
2. May 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.
Learn more
SEX NOW
NRW-Forum, Düsseldorf
2. May 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
Forest myth
Gasometer Oberhausen, Oberhausen
2. May 2026 - 30. Dec 2026
The 'Mythos Wald' exhibition in the Gasometer Oberhausen shows the biodiversity of forests worldwide and raises awareness for their protection.
Learn more
Two million years of migration
Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann
2. May 2026 - 1. Nov 2026
The exhibition "Two Million Years of Migration" at the Neanderthal Museum in Mettmann sheds light on the deep-rooted mobility in human history.
Learn more
From the wool
LVR-Industriemuseum / Tuchfabrik Müller, Euskirchen
10. May 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.
Learn more

Top exhibitions

Manifesta 16 Ruhr

Marianna Simnett - Headless

Emma Talbot meets Johan Thorn Prikker

Monet - Master of Impressionism

Peter Behrens - Art and technology

Chained to the Rhythm. Of man and nature

Meal time! How food connects us

Wanderlust. On the road with Felix the rabbit

SEX NOW

Forest myth

Two million years of migration

From the wool

Newsletter