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

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

  • To Page Yayoi Kusama. Works from 70 years

    Yayoi Kusama. Works from 70 years

    Museum Ludwig, Köln
    21. Apr 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of the artist Yayoi Kusama at the Museum Ludwig, Cologne, sheds light on seven decades of her work, including unpublished and new works.
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  • To Page Thomas Baumgärtel - 40 years of banana sprayers

    Thomas Baumgärtel - 40 years of banana sprayers

    Museum Schloss Moyland, Bedburg-Hau
    8. May 2026 - 30. Aug 2026
    The large-scale exhibition "Thomas Baumgärtel - 40 years of banana sprayers" will transform the Lower Rhine into a walk-in art landscape spread across 40 locations in 2026.
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    Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen, Oberhausen
    20. Sept 2026 - 17. Jan 2027
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  • 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.
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  • To Page Chained to the Rhythm. Of man and nature

    Chained to the Rhythm. Of man and nature

    Museumsverein Morsbroich e.V., Leverkusen
    21. Apr 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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  • To Page Christo and Jeanne-Claude: un|realized

    Christo and Jeanne-Claude: un|realized

    Kunstmuseum Pablo Picasso Münster, Münster
    21. Apr 2026 - 28. Jun 2026
    Discover the unfinished projects of the artist duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude in a unique exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Pablo Picasso Münster.
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Music, science, society

  • To Page Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste

    Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste

    Dortmunder U, Dortmund
    21. Apr 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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  • To Page Forest myth

    Forest myth

    Gasometer Oberhausen, Oberhausen
    21. Apr 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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  • To Page SEX NOW

    SEX NOW

    NRW-Forum, Düsseldorf
    21. Apr 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 Two million years of migration

    Two million years of migration

    Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann
    21. Apr 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.
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  • To Page Think:times! 150 years of the Hermann Monument

    Think:times! 150 years of the Hermann Monument

    Lippisches Landesmuseum, Detmold
    21. Apr 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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  • SUPERHEROES - The story of Musiala and Wirtz

    Deutsches Fußballmuseum, Dortmund
    21. Apr 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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