Bienenwaben Installation im Folkwang Museum in Essen
Tourismus NRW e.V., Bienenwaben Installation im Folkwang Museum in Essen

Top exhibitionsArt heaven, Kant and the climate crisis

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

  • Jianfeng Pan (*1973), Northern Ocean, 2023, ink, xuan paper, 138 x 204 cm
    Foto: Jianfeng Pan / Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Jianfeng Pan (*1973), Northern Ocean, 2023, ink, xuan paper, 138 x 204 cm
    Ink walks
    Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln
    27. Jun 2025 - 29. Jun 2025
    The exhibition 'Ink Walks' at the Museum of East Asian Art in Cologne presents the impressive works on paper by contemporary Chinese artist Jianfeng Pan.
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  • Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night looks more than impressive on the Visiodrom's 360-degree screen
    Visiodrom GmbH, Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night looks more than impressive on the Visiodrom's 360-degree screen
    Vincent van Gogh - Longing
    Gaskessel Event GmbH, Wuppertal
    27. Jun 2025 - 31. Dec 2025
    Explore the virtual art presentation of Vincent van Gogh's works at the Visiodrom in the Gaskessel Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia, on Europe's largest 360-degree screen.
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  • From left to right: Merce Cunningham, Robert Rauschenberg, John Cage, M.C. Richards, Bob Catoin and Jasper Johns, 1958
    Museum Ludwig, From left to right: Merce Cunningham, Robert Rauschenberg, John Cage, M.C. Richards, Bob Catoin and Jasper Johns, 1958
    Five friends
    Museum Ludwig, Köln
    3. Oct 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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  • On the grounds of the Peter Behrens Building, historical machines convey individual work processes in heavy industry
    Tourismus NRW e.V., On the grounds of the Peter Behrens Building, historical machines convey individual work processes in heavy industry
    Peter Behrens - Art and technology
    LVR-Industriemuseum Peter-Behrens-Bau, Oberhausen
    27. Jun 2025 - 31. Dec 2028
    Discover the life and work of Peter Behrens, a pioneer of modern design, in the newly designed permanent exhibition at the LVR Industrial Museum in Oberhausen.
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  • NZHANNA KADYROVA (Brovary, Ucraina / Ukraine, 1981), Palianytsia. Ukraine, 2022, river stone sculptures
    dimensioni varie / various dimensions, Courtesy Galleria Continua and Bangkok Art Biennale, Photo by Preecha Pattaraumpornchai, NZHANNA KADYROVA (Brovary, Ucraina / Ukraine, 1981), Palianytsia. Ukraine, 2022, river stone sculptures
    At the table
    Dortmunder U, Dortmund
    27. Jun 2025 - 20. Jul 2025
    The "At the Table" exhibition at the Dortmunder U uses contemporary art to shed light on the social and cultural significance of eating and drinking together.
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  • Museum Schloss Moyland has the world's largest collection of Joseph Beuys' work
    Tourismus NRW e.V., Museum Schloss Moyland has the world's largest collection of Joseph Beuys' work
    Marina Abramović and MAI in dialog with Joseph Beuys
    Museum Schloss Moyland, Bedburg-Hau
    13. Jul 2025 - 12. Oct 2025
    The Marina Abramović Institute is designing an art program at Museum Schloss Moyland based on artistic research in the Beuys archive and the museum's collection.
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  • William Kentridge, drawing for the self-portrait As a Coffee Pot (2 Private Thoughts), 2021
    William Kentridge, 2024, William Kentridge, drawing for the self-portrait As a Coffee Pot (2 Private Thoughts), 2021
    William Kentridge. Triumphs and laments
    Museum Folkwang, Essen
    4. Sept 2025 - 18. Jan 2026
    The exhibition 'William Kentridge. Triumphs and Lamentations' at the Museum Folkwang honors the South African artist on the occasion of his 70th birthday and presents his multifaceted work.
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  • Marc Chagall, The Violinist, 1911, Le violoniste, oil on canvas, 94.5 × 69.5 cm, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Photo: Achim Kukulies, Düsseldorf
    VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2024, Marc Chagall, The Violinist, 1911, Le violoniste, oil on canvas, 94.5 × 69.5 cm, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Photo: Achim Kukulies, Düsseldorf
    Chagall
    Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
    27. Jun 2025 - 10. Aug 2025
    The Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen is presenting a comprehensive exhibition of the early works of the Russian-French painter Marc Chagall, highlighting his experiments with Fauvism and Cubism as well as his connection with Jewish motifs and Russian folklore.
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  • Paula Rego, Love, 1995, Pastel on paper on aluminum, 120 × 160 cm, Courtesy The Estate of Paula Rego and Victoria Miro
    Paula Rego Estate, Paula Rego, Love, 1995, Pastel on paper on aluminum, 120 × 160 cm, Courtesy The Estate of Paula Rego and Victoria Miro
    Paula Rego. The Personal is Political
    Museum Folkwang, Essen
    27. Jun 2025 - 7. Sept 2025
    The Museum Folkwang in Essen is presenting a comprehensive retrospective of the works of Portuguese-British artist Paula Rego from May 2025.
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Music, science, society

  • Udo Lindenberg. Comet-like panic
    Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen, Oberhausen
    29. Jun 2025 - 28. Sept 2025
    Discover the 'Udoversum' in a comprehensive exhibition about the musician and artist Udo Lindenberg in the Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen.
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  • Imperial palace with St. Bartholomew's Chapel
    Karl Heinz Schäfer, Tourist Information Paderborn, Imperial palace with St. Bartholomew's Chapel
    1,250 years of Westphalia
    LWL-Museum in der Kaiserpfalz, Paderborn
    27. Jun 2025 - 28. Feb 2026
    Celebration of the 1250th anniversary of Westphalia in 2025 with an anniversary program and exhibitions at the LWL Museum in the Kaiserpfalz in Paderborn. The history and culture of the region are told here.
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  • Two permanent exhibitions and regular special shows provide insights into the animal and plant world at the LWL Museum of Natural History
    LWL, Oblonczyk, Two permanent exhibitions and regular special shows provide insights into the animal and plant world at the LWL Museum of Natural History
    Genes - diversity of life
    LWL-Museum für Naturkunde, Münster
    27. Jun 2025 - 31. Dec 2025
    Discover the fascinating world of genes in the exhibition "Genes - Diversity of Life" at the LWL Museum of Natural History in Münster.
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  • The exhibition at the Neanderthal Museum focuses on the life stories of individual Neanderthal women. Life-size figures illustrate what they looked like
    H. Neumann, The exhibition at the Neanderthal Museum focuses on the life stories of individual Neanderthal women. Life-size figures illustrate what they looked like
    Stereotypical Neanderthal
    Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann
    27. Jun 2025 - 2. Nov 2025
    The special exhibition "Stereotypical Neanderthals" at the Neanderthal Museum sheds light on the diversity of prehistoric communities and offers emotional insights into the life of the Neanderthals.
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  • Conrad Felixmüller, Child in front of a blast furnace, 1927
    LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn, Foto: Jürgen Vogel, Conrad Felixmüller, Child in front of a blast furnace, 1927
    Brave new world of work. 1890-1940
    LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn, Bonn
    13. Nov 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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    The path to the Basic Law
    kulturinfo rheinland, Oberhausen
    27. Jun 2025 - 28. Sept 2025
    The exhibition "The Road to the Basic Law" at the LVR Industrial Museum impressively shows the emergence of German democracy through photographs by Erna Wagner-Hehmke.
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    Democratic cultures in the Sauerland 1925-1975-2025
    Sauerland-Museum, Arnsberg
    1. Oct 2025 - 30. Jun 2026
    The special exhibition at the Sauerland Museum sheds light on the social development of the Sauerland from 1925 to 2025, with a focus on democratic cultures.
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    SEX NOW
    NRW-Forum Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf
    5. Sept 2025 - 3. May 2026
    The "SEX NOW" exhibition at the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf sheds light on the transformation of the sex industry, sexual self-determination and the role of digital technologies in sexuality.
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    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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