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

Beautiful & austere: the power of ornamentation
Von der Heydt Museum, Wuppertal
11. Oct 2026 - 14. Feb 2027
The Von der Heydt-Museum in Wuppertal is dedicating an exhibition to the role of ornament, pattern and geometric order in art.
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Anish Kapoor
Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg
29. 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.
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Rubens and His Workshop
Siegerlandmuseum, Siegen
25. Apr 2027 - 18. Jul 2027
The special exhibition “Rubens and His Workshop” at the Siegerlandmuseum celebrates the 450th birthday of the Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens with national and international loans.
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Rococo under Construction
Schloss Augustusburg, Brühl
29. 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.
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Color! Color!
Cragg Foundation, Wuppertal
12. Sept 2026 - 3. Jan 2027
Discover the exhibition “Color! Color!” at the Waldfrieden Sculpture Park in Wuppertal, which showcases the work of the artists Baumeister, Schlemmer, and Krause.
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Yayoi Kusama. Works from 70 years
Museum Ludwig, Köln
29. Jul 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of the artist Yayoi Kusama at the Museum Ludwig, Cologne, sheds light on seven decades of her work, including unpublished and new works.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

Wanderlust. On the road with Felix the rabbit
LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur, Münster
29. 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.
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PLAYMOBIL – Journey Through Time: Neanderthal
Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann
21. Nov 2026 - 31. Oct 2027
The Neanderthal Museum presents the history of Neanderthals through detailed PLAYMOBIL dioramas in the special exhibition “PLAYMOBIL – A Journey Through Time to Neanderthal Times.”
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ASIA POP
NRW-Forum, Düsseldorf
17. Sept 2026 - 23. 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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Beethoven by Warhol
Verein Beethoven Haus, Bonn
9. Sept 2026 - 5. Apr 2027
To mark the Beethoven Year 2027, the Beethoven House in Bonn is hosting the exhibition “Beethoven by Warhol,” which features Andy Warhol’s silkscreen series “Beethoven 1987” and other Beethoven-related works of art.
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Behind Beauty
LWL-Museum Textilwerk, Bocholt
29. 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.
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Survival
Ruhr Museum, Essen
29. Jul 2026 - 5. Sept 2027
The state paleontology exhibition “überLeben” in North Rhine-Westphalia offers insights into prehistoric worlds and shows how life and landscapes have changed over millions of years.
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