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

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.
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Katharina Sieverding & Joseph Beuys
Museum Schloss Moyland, Bedburg-Hau
11. Oct 2026 - 7. Feb 2027
The special exhibition "Katharina Sieverding & Joseph Beuys - Jeder Mensch ein Künstler..." at Museum Schloss Moyland sheds light on the artists' time together at the Düsseldorf Art Academy and their political and social concerns.
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From Louise Bourgeois to Yoko Ono. Jewelry by female artists
Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Köln
22. Jan 2026 - 26. Apr 2026
The MAKK is presenting a special exhibition of jewelry designs by female artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, including works by Louise Bourgeois and Yoko Ono.
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Seeing Kollwitz anew
Käthe Kollwitz Museum Köln, Köln
22. 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.
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Jaana Caspary
Von der Heydt Museum, Wuppertal
22. Jan 2026 - 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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Yayoi Kusama. Works from 70 years
Museum Ludwig, Köln
14. Mar 2026 - 2. Aug 2026
Comprehensive retrospective of the artist Yayoi Kusama at the Museum Ludwig, Cologne, sheds light on seven decades of her work, including unpublished and new works.
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Music, science, society

After Hitler. The German confrontation with National Socialism
Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bonn
22. Jan 2026 - 25. Jan 2026
The exhibition "After Hitler" at the Haus der Geschichte in Bonn examines Germany's confrontation with National Socialism over generations.
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Amazônia. Indigenous worlds
Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
13. Mar 2026 - 9. Aug 2026
The Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn is presenting the exhibition "Amazônia. Indigenous Worlds", which sheds light on the culture and way of life of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon region.
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The history of the Lower Rhine
LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel, Wesel
22. Jan 2026 - 31. Dec 2026
The new permanent exhibition at the LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel sheds light on the history of the Lower Rhine and links regional developments with global themes.
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1,250 years of Westphalia
LWL-Museum in der Kaiserpfalz, Paderborn
22. 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.
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Meal time! How food connects us
LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur, Herne
22. 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.
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Think:times! 150 years of the Hermann Monument
Lippisches Landesmuseum, Detmold
22. Jan 2026 - 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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