The "ASIA POP" exhibition is the first major show in Germany dedicated to East Asian pop culture. From 18 September 2026, visitors to the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf will be able to marvel at around 400 exhibits on around 1200 square meters of exhibition space, depicting a colourful panorama of comics, animations, K-pop bands, video games, street food delicacies as well as fashion and beauty accessories. Included are charm icons such as cute "Kawaii" figures, animated films (e.g. from Studio Ghibli) or games such as Black Myth: Wukong.
On the one hand, the exhibition highlights pop culture as an aesthetic phenomenon, but on the other, "ASIA POP" also looks at so-called "soft power", i.e. the expansion of the political and economic influence of countries such as China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan through the spread of cultural exports.
Those who like can try out interactive stations on a tour, such as dancing with other K-pop fans to randomly played song excerpts from Korean pop music, playing popular game classics on consoles or posing for the perfect photo at selfie points. Guests are invited to reflect on their own fan experiences with other visitors.
