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

Marianna Simnett – Headless
Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR, Brühl
31. Jan 2026 - 5. Jul 2026
Entdecken Sie die traumhaften und verstörenden Welten der Berliner Künstlerin Marianna Simnett in der Ausstellung 'Headless' im Max Ernst Museum Brühl.
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Von Louise Bourgeois bis Yoko Ono. Schmuck von Künstlerinnen
Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Köln
13. Dec 2025 - 26. Apr 2026
Das MAKK präsentiert eine Sonderausstellung mit Schmuckentwürfen von Künstlerinnen des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts, darunter Werke von Louise Bourgeois und Yoko Ono.
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Queer Modernism. 1900 to 1950
Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
13. 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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William Kentridge. Triumphs and laments
Museum Folkwang, Essen
13. Dec 2025 - 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.
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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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Vincent van Gogh - Longing
Gaskessel Event GmbH, Wuppertal
13. 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

Udo Lindenberg. Comet-like panic
Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen, Oberhausen
13. Dec 2025 - 18. Jan 2026
Discover the 'Udoversum' in a comprehensive exhibition about the musician and artist Udo Lindenberg in the Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen.
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Mahlzeit! Wie uns Essen verbindet
LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur, Herne
13. Dec 2025 - 13. Sept 2026
Die Ausstellung 'Mahlzeit! Wie Essen uns verbindet' im LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur in Herne untersucht die Kulturgeschichte des Essens und seine soziale Bedeutung.
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1,250 years of Westphalia
LWL-Museum in der Kaiserpfalz, Paderborn
13. 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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Land and soil
K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
13. Dec 2025 - 19. Apr 2026
The exhibition "Grund und Boden" at the K21 of the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen reflects on the use and management of resources in modern societies. It invites discussion about a sustainable future.
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Think:times! 150 years of the Hermann Monument
Lippisches Landesmuseum, Detmold
13. Dec 2025 - 26. Apr 2026
To mark the 150th anniversary of the Hermann Monument, the Lippisches Landesmuseum Detmold is presenting a multimedia exhibition that sheds light on the colossal statue as a symbol of German identity and history.
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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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