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

The fascination of jewelry. 7000 years of jewelry art at the MAKK
Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Köln
12. Jul 2026 - 30. Dec 2026
Discover the impressive exhibition 'Fascination Jewelry. 7000 years of jewelry history with 370 exhibits can be admired here.
Learn more
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.
Learn more
Rococo under Construction
Schloss Augustusburg, Brühl
12. Jul 2026 - 1. Nov 2026
The special exhibition 'Rococo under Construction' sheds light on the construction of Augustusburg Palace. The palace is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Brühl Palaces.
Learn more
Anish Kapoor
Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg
12. Jul 2026 - 30. Aug 2026
Discover Anish Kapoor's most extensive exhibition in Germany for over a decade, highlighting his life's work at the Lehmbruck Museum.
Learn more
Jörg Immendorff
Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
25. Sept 2026 - 10. Jan 2027
The first comprehensive retrospective of the renowned German artist Jörg Immendorff at the Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf, featuring previously unseen works and archival materials.
Learn more
Thomas Schütte
K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
14. Nov 2026 - 18. Apr 2027
Overview of the diverse work of the influential artist Thomas Schütte in the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, including sculptures, watercolors and installations.
Learn more

Music, science, society

Two million years of migration
Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann
12. Jul 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.
Learn more
Paris: A Place of Refuge
LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn, Bonn
1. Oct 2026 - 24. Jan 2027
The exhibition “Fluchtpunkt Paris” at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn explores the cultural life of Paris in the 1920s and 1930s through the photographs of Gisèle Freund, Rogi André, and Madame d’Ora.
Learn more
Wanderlust. On the road with Felix the rabbit
LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur, Münster
12. Jul 2026 - 13. Sept 2026
The exhibition 'Wanderlustig. On the road with Felix the rabbit' at the LWL-Museum Münster offers an interactive journey around the world through art, culture and sustainable tourism.
Learn more
Amazônia. Indigenous worlds
Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
12. Jul 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.
Learn more
Behind Beauty
LWL-Museum Textilwerk, Bocholt
12. Jul 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.
Learn more
Meal time! How food connects us
LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur, Herne, Herne
12. Jul 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.
Learn more