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

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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Seeing Kollwitz anew
Käthe Kollwitz Museum Köln, Köln
4. Mar 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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Monet - Master of Impressionism
Phoenix des Lumières, Dortmund
4. Mar 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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Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen, Oberhausen
20. Sept 2026 - 17. Jan 2027
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Marianna Simnett - Headless
Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR, Brühl
4. Mar 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.
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L'Art d'habiter. The art of living
Kunstmuseen Krefeld, Krefeld
4. Mar 2026 - 15. Mar 2026
First major retrospective in Germany of the French architect Charlotte Perriand, who revolutionized modern living, presented by the Kunstmuseen Krefeld.
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Music, science, society

ASIA POP
NRW-Forum, Düsseldorf
18. Sept 2026 - 30. May 2027
The exhibition 'ASIA POP' at the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf presents the diversity of East Asian pop culture with over 400 exhibits from September 18, 2026.
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The history of the Lower Rhine
LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel, Wesel
4. Mar 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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Behind Beauty
LWL-Museum Textilwerk, Bocholt
4. Mar 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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The power of rules
Stiftung Kloster Dalheim - LWL Landesmuseum für Klosterkultur, Lichtenau
20. May 2026 - 30. May 2027
The exhibition "The power of rules!" at Dalheim Monastery examines the role of rules in society and invites reflection.
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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.
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Meal time! How food connects us
LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur, Herne, Herne
4. Mar 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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Top exhibitions

Manifesta 16 Ruhr

Seeing Kollwitz anew

Monet - Master of Impressionism

Marianna Simnett - Headless

L'Art d'habiter. The art of living

ASIA POP

The history of the Lower Rhine

Behind Beauty

The power of rules

From the wool

Meal time! How food connects us

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