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

Visions of Modernism - August Macke and Max Ernst
Museum August Macke Haus, Bonn
15. May 2026 - 23. Aug 2026
The exhibition "Visions of Modernism - August Macke and Max Ernst" at the Museum August Macke Haus Bonn shows the beginnings of Max Ernst and his connection to August Macke.
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Chained to the Rhythm. Of man and nature
Museumsverein Morsbroich e.V., Leverkusen
15. 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.
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Monet - Master of Impressionism
Phoenix des Lumières, Dortmund
15. 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.
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After Damascus...
Museum Folkwang, Essen
6. Nov 2026 - 21. Feb 2027
The exhibition "After Damascus ... Karl Ernst Osthaus and the Islamic Arts" at Museum Folkwang sheds light on the museum founder's Islamic art collection and its impact on design and architecture.
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Rebecca Horn. Emotion in Motion
Cragg Foundation, Wuppertal
15. May 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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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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Music, science, society

From the wool
LVR-Industriemuseum / Tuchfabrik Müller, Euskirchen
15. 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.
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Forest myth
Gasometer Oberhausen, Oberhausen
15. 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.
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SUPERHEROES - The story of Musiala and Wirtz
Deutsches Fußballmuseum, Dortmund
15. May 2026 - 31. May 2026
In 2026, the German Football Museum presents the exhibition 'SUPERHEROES - The Story of Musiala and Wirtz', a multimedia tribute to the soccer stars.
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Behind Beauty
LWL-Museum Textilwerk, Bocholt
15. May 2026 - 1. Nov 2026
The exhibition 'Behind Beauty' at the LWL-Museum Textilwerk Bocholt questions ideals of beauty, role models and the role of advertising in the beauty industry.
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Amazônia. Indigenous worlds
Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
15. May 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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Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste
Dortmunder U, Dortmund
15. May 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.
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Top exhibitions

Visions of Modernism - August Macke and Max Ernst

Chained to the Rhythm. Of man and nature

Monet - Master of Impressionism

After Damascus...

Rebecca Horn. Emotion in Motion

Manifesta 16 Ruhr

From the wool

Forest myth

SUPERHEROES - The story of Musiala and Wirtz

Behind Beauty

Amazônia. Indigenous worlds

Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste

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