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

Yayoi Kusama. Works from 70 years
Museum Ludwig, Köln
1. May 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of the artist Yayoi Kusama at the Museum Ludwig, Cologne, sheds light on seven decades of her work, including unpublished and new works.
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Thomas Baumgärtel - 40 years of banana sprayers
Museum Schloss Moyland, Bedburg-Hau
8. May 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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Christo and Jeanne-Claude: un|realized
Kunstmuseum Pablo Picasso Münster, Münster
1. May 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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The lunar year of the horse
Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln
1. May 2026 - 31. Jan 2027
The exhibition "The Lunar Year of the Horse" at the Museum of East Asian Art in Cologne sheds light on the cultural significance of the horse in China, Korea and Japan.
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Anish Kapoor
Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg
1. May 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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Rupprecht Geiger. Color - Light - Energy
Kunstquartier Hagen, Hagen
1. May 2026 - 7. Jun 2026
The exhibition 'Rupprecht Geiger - Color - Light - Energy' at the Emil Schumacher Museum in Hagen presents 70 works by the important color field painter until June 2026.
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Music, science, society

Meal time! How food connects us
LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur, Herne, Herne
1. May 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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SUPERHEROES - The story of Musiala and Wirtz
Deutsches Fußballmuseum, Dortmund
1. May 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
1. May 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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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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Forest myth
Gasometer Oberhausen, Oberhausen
1. May 2026 - 30. Dec 2026
The 'Mythos Wald' exhibition in the Gasometer Oberhausen shows the biodiversity of forests worldwide and raises awareness for their protection.
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Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste
Dortmunder U, Dortmund
1. May 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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Top exhibitions

Yayoi Kusama. Works from 70 years

Thomas Baumgärtel - 40 years of banana sprayers

Christo and Jeanne-Claude: un|realized

The lunar year of the horse

Anish Kapoor

Rupprecht Geiger. Color - Light - Energy

Meal time! How food connects us

SUPERHEROES - The story of Musiala and Wirtz

Two million years of migration

From the wool

Forest myth

Waste. An exhibition about the global routes of waste

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