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

Art heaven, Kant and the climate crisis

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

  • To Page Manifesta 16 Ruhr

    Manifesta 16 Ruhr

    Manifesta 16 Ruhr Office, c/o Regionalverband Ruhr, Essen
    21. Jun 2026 - 4. Oct 2026
    Manifesta 16 Ruhr, a major European traveling biennial for contemporary art, will take place in the Ruhr region in 2026 and will use empty post-war churches as exhibition venues.
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  • To Page Nach Damaskus...

    Nach Damaskus...

    Museum Folkwang, Essen
    6. Nov 2026 - 21. Feb 2027
    Die Ausstellung „Nach Damaskus … Karl Ernst Osthaus und die islamischen Künste“ im Museum Folkwang beleuchtet die islamische Kunstsammlung des Museumsgründers und ihre Auswirkungen auf Design und Architektur.
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  • Monet – Meister des Impressionismus

    Phoenix des Lumières, Dortmund
    9. Dec 2025 - 30. Jun 2026
    Die immersive Ausstellung 'Monet – Meister des Impressionismus' in Dortmund präsentiert über 200 Werke von Claude Monet, ergänzt durch ein Kurzformat zu Henri Rousseau.
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  • To Page Women artists! From Monjé to Münter

    Women artists! From Monjé to Münter

    Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
    9. Dec 2025 - 1. Feb 2026
    The exhibition at the Kunstpalast Düsseldorf honors 30 female artists of the 19th and 20th centuries who created important works despite social obstacles.
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  • To Page Jaana Caspary

    Jaana Caspary

    Von der Heydt Museum, Wuppertal
    9. Dec 2025 - 8. Feb 2026
    The Von der Heydt-Museum in Wuppertal is honoring the sculptor Jaana Caspary with a comprehensive exhibition of her abstract sculptures based on everyday objects.
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  • To Page Five friends

    Five friends

    Museum Ludwig, Köln
    9. Dec 2025 - 11. Jan 2026
    The exhibition "Five Friends" at the Museum Ludwig sheds light on the relationships and influence of five influential artists of the 20th century on post-war art.
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Music, science, society

  • To Page The power of rules

    The power of rules

    Stiftung Kloster Dalheim - LWL Landesmuseum für Klosterkultur, Lichtenau
    1. May 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 Brave new world of work. 1890-1940

    Brave new world of work. 1890-1940

    LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn, Bonn
    9. Dec 2025 - 12. Apr 2026
    The exhibition "Brave new world of work. 1890-1940" at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn sheds light on the changes in the world of work and their artistic treatment.
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  • To Page Amazônia. Indigene Welten

    Amazônia. Indigene Welten

    Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
    13. Mar 2026 - 9. Aug 2026
    Die Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn präsentiert die Ausstellung „Amazônia. Indigene Welten“, die die Kultur und Lebensweise der indigenen Völker des Amazonasgebietes beleuchtet.
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  • To Page Mahlzeit! Wie uns Essen verbindet

    Mahlzeit! Wie uns Essen verbindet

    LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur, Herne
    9. Dec 2025 - 13. Sept 2026
    Die Ausstellung 'Mahlzeit! Wie Essen uns verbindet' im LWL-Museum für Archäologie und Kultur in Herne untersucht die Kulturgeschichte des Essens und seine soziale Bedeutung.
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  • To Page

    Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
    9. Dec 2025 - 6. Apr 2026
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  • To Page Think:times! 150 years of the Hermann Monument

    Think:times! 150 years of the Hermann Monument

    Lippisches Landesmuseum, Detmold
    9. Dec 2025 - 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.
    Learn more
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