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

  • 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
    30. Apr 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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  • West view of Haus Lange
    Volker Döhne, Kunstmuseen Krefeld, Since 1955, Haus Lange has been known as a place where contemporary, experimental art and architecture come together
    Partly furnished, excellent view
    Kunstmuseen Krefeld, Krefeld
    30. Apr 2025 - 21. Sept 2025
    Celebration of the 70th anniversary of Haus Lange with an exhibition highlighting the interaction between architecture and art through various media.
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    Yayoi Kusama. Works from 70 years
    Museum Ludwig, Köln
    14. Mar 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of the artist Yayoi Kusama at the Museum Ludwig, Cologne, sheds light on seven decades of her work, including unpublished and new works.
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  • The opening of the exhibition Dalí. The Endless Enigma was very well attended.
    Hulisz, Tourismus NRW e.V., The Phoenix des Lumières exhibition openings attract large numbers of visitors
    In the realm of the pharaohs
    Phoenix des Lumières, Dortmund
    30. Apr 2025 - 31. Dec 2025
    The immersive exhibition 'In the Realm of the Pharaohs' at the Phoenix des Lumières in Dortmund takes visitors back to ancient Egypt and presents impressive digital works of 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
    2. May 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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  • The LWL Museum of Art and Culture is dedicated to a total of 1000 years of Western art and cultural history on 7500 square meters of exhibition space
    Elisabeth Deiters-Keul, The LWL Museum of Art and Culture is dedicated to a total of 1000 years of Western art and cultural history on 7500 square meters of exhibition space
    Kirchner. Picasso.
    LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur, Münster
    26. Sept 2025 - 18. Jan 2026
    The exhibition "Kirchner. Picasso." at the LWL Museum of Art and Culture examines the connections and differences between the works of these two exceptional artists.
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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
    16. May 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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  • The collection of the Kunstpalast impresses with its diversity and quality and is estimated at more than 130,000 objects
    Anne Orthen, The collection of the Kunstpalast impresses with its diversity and quality and is estimated at more than 130,000 objects
    Women artists! From Monjé to Münter
    Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
    25. Sept 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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    The fascination of lacquer - art from Asia and Europe
    LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur, Münster
    30. Apr 2025 - 27. Jul 2025
    The exhibition "The Fascination of Lacquer - Art from Asia and Europe" at the LWL-Museum Münster shows the diversity of lacquer art and its role in global trade relations.
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Music, science, society

  • The LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel is the place to go for culture fans who want to find out more about the history of the Lower Rhine region
    LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel, The LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel is the place to go for culture fans who want to find out more about the history of the Lower Rhine region
    The history of the Lower Rhine
    LVR-Niederrheinmuseum Wesel, Wesel
    30. Apr 2025 - 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
  • A historic Braun men's razor is a product of the beauty industry. It is one of the exhibits in the Behind Beauty show
    LWL-Museen für Industriekultur, A historic Braun men's razor is a product of the beauty industry. It is one of the exhibits in the Behind Beauty show
    Behind Beauty
    LWL-Museum Textilwerk, Bocholt
    25. May 2025 - 1. Nov 2025
    The exhibition 'Behind Beauty' at the LWL-Museum Textilwerk Bocholt questions ideals of beauty, role models and the role of advertising in the beauty industry.
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  • Emmanuele Baccinelli, Phantomias, private collection
    Disney, Emmanuele Baccinelli, Phantomias, private collection
    Superheroes
    NRW-Forum Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf
    30. Apr 2025 - 11. May 2025
    The NRW-Forum in Düsseldorf is presenting an exhibition about superheroes, who are icons of pop culture and symbols of democracy and hope.
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  • Lucian Freud, Head of a Woman, 1988-1990, MGKSiegen, Lambrecht-Schadeberg Collection
    The Estate of Lucian Freud Bridgeman Images, Lucian Freud, Head of a Woman, 1988-1990, MGKSiegen, Lambrecht-Schadeberg Collection
    Look, the looks
    Museum für Gegenwartskunst Siegen, Siegen
    30. Apr 2025 - 15. Jun 2025
    The exhibition "Schau, die Blicke" at the Museum für Gegenwartskunst Siegen explores the theme of "seeing and being seen" through various artistic media.
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  • Room attendant in the plenary chamber of the German Bundestag, 17.6.1971
    J.H. Darchinger/Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Room attendant in the plenary chamber of the German Bundestag, 17.6.1971
    Jupp Darchinger. The eye of the republic
    LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn, Bonn
    12. Jun 2025 - 14. Sept 2025
    The anniversary exhibition "Jupp Darchinger. The Eye of the Republic" at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn honors the photographer who documented the Bonn Republic.
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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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  • The collection of the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn comprises countless objects from over 450,000 years of Rhenish life and cultural history
    Michael Sondermann, The collection of the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn comprises countless objects from over 450,000 years of Rhenish life and cultural history
    The Rhine. Life by the river
    LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn, Bonn
    30. Apr 2025 - 30. Sept 2025
    The special exhibition 'The Rhine. Life on the River' at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn offers an archaeological journey through the history of the Rhineland from spring 2025.
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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
    30. Apr 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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  • Couple in front of industrial plant
    LVR-Industriemuseum, Fotografin: Anne Winterer, Couple in front of industrial plant
    Anne Winterer - Rhineland and Ruhr region in view
    LVR-Industriemuseum St. Antony-Hütte, Oberhausen
    30. Apr 2025 - 22. Jun 2025
    The exhibition 'Anne Winterer - Rheinland und Ruhrgebiet im Blick' at the LVR Industrial Museum shows over 60 photographs from the 1920s and 1930s, which offer a unique insight into people's lives at that time.
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