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

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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I, Gustave Courbet
Museum Folkwang, Essen
17. Jul 2026 - 8. Nov 2026
From July 2026, the exhibition "I, Gustave Courbet - Painter and Rebel" at Museum Folkwang will shed light on the radical work and political commitment of the French painter Gustave Courbet.
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Christo and Jeanne-Claude: un|realized
Kunstmuseum Pablo Picasso Münster, Münster
5. 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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Katharina Sieverding & Joseph Beuys
Museum Schloss Moyland, Bedburg-Hau
11. Oct 2026 - 7. Feb 2027
The special exhibition "Katharina Sieverding & Joseph Beuys - Jeder Mensch ein Künstler..." at Museum Schloss Moyland sheds light on the artists' time together at the Düsseldorf Art Academy and their political and social concerns.
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The fascination of jewelry. 7000 years of jewelry art at the MAKK
Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Köln
5. Apr 2026 - 30. Dec 2026
Discover the impressive exhibition 'Fascination Jewelry. 7000 years of jewelry history with 370 exhibits can be admired here.
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Yayoi Kusama. Works from 70 years
Museum Ludwig, Köln
5. 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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Music, science, society

SUPERHEROES - The story of Musiala and Wirtz
Deutsches Fußballmuseum, Dortmund
5. 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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Two million years of migration
Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann
5. 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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Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste
Dortmunder U, Dortmund
5. 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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Think:times! 150 years of the Hermann Monument
Lippisches Landesmuseum, Detmold
5. 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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Behind Beauty
LWL-Museum Textilwerk, Bocholt
5. Apr 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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Meal time! How food connects us
LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur, Herne, Herne
5. Apr 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

After Damascus...

I, Gustave Courbet

Christo and Jeanne-Claude: un|realized

Katharina Sieverding & Joseph Beuys

The fascination of jewelry. 7000 years of jewelry art at the MAKK

Yayoi Kusama. Works from 70 years

SUPERHEROES - The story of Musiala and Wirtz

Two million years of migration

Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste

Think:times! 150 years of the Hermann Monument

Behind Beauty

Meal time! How food connects us

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