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

  • Rococo under Construction

    Schloss Augustusburg, Brühl
    27. Jun 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
  • To Page I, Gustave Courbet

    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.
    Learn more
  • To Page Jon Rafman. Main Stream Media

    Jon Rafman. Main Stream Media

    K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
    23. Jun 2026 - 27. Sept 2026
    The Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen is presenting the first solo museum exhibition in Germany by Canadian media artist Jon Rafman, which introduces his experimental AI project 'Mainstream Media Network'.
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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
    23. Jun 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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  • To Page Yayoi Kusama. Works from 70 years

    Yayoi Kusama. Works from 70 years

    Museum Ludwig, Köln
    23. Jun 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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    Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen, Oberhausen
    20. Sept 2026 - 17. Jan 2027
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Music, science, society

  • To Page Wanderlust. On the road with Felix the rabbit

    Wanderlust. On the road with Felix the rabbit

    LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur, Münster
    23. Jun 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
  • To Page PLAYMOBIL – Journey Through Time: Neanderthal

    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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  • To Page Two million years of migration

    Two million years of migration

    Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann
    23. Jun 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 The history of the Lower Rhine

    The history of the Lower Rhine

    LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel, Wesel
    23. Jun 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.
    Learn more
  • To Page The power of rules

    The power of rules

    Stiftung Kloster Dalheim - LWL Landesmuseum für Klosterkultur, Lichtenau
    23. Jun 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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  • To Page Cared for! - Company welfare at GHH

    Cared for! - Company welfare at GHH

    kulturinfo rheinland, Oberhausen
    10. Jul 2026 - 16. May 2027
    The photo exhibition "Cared for! - Corporate welfare at GHH" at the LVR Industrial Museum St. Antony-Hütte in Oberhausen sheds light on social responsibility in the industrial history of the Ruhr region.
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