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

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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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
15. Mar 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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David Morales, Federico Cuatlacuatl, Xochipitzahuatl-Nova, 2024, 3-channel video installation (still)
Hypercreatures
Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR, Brühl
22. Mar 2025 - 5. Oct 2025
The 'Hypercreatures' exhibition at the Max Ernst Museum Brühl examines surrealist hybrid figures that combine elements of animal, machine, human and plant.
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Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst Köln (MOK), Imperial Palace, Hamaguri Gate, etching and aquatint, 17 × 21 cm, 1995
Tanaka Ryōhei. From line to landscape
Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln
13. Mar 2025 - 13. Apr 2025
Discover the fascinating world of Japanese graphic artist Tanaka Ryōhei at the Museum of East Asian Art Cologne and take advantage of the MuseumsCard.
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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
13. Mar 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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Foto: DetlefSchumacher.com, Svenja John, NOKOMIS brooch, Berlin, 2010
The fascination of jewelry. 7000 years of jewelry art at the MAKK
Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Köln
13. Mar 2025 - 30. Dec 2025
Discover the impressive exhibition 'Fascination Jewelry. 7000 years of jewelry history with 370 exhibits can be admired here.
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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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Foto: Klaus Mettig, VG Bild-Kunst, Portrait of Katharina Sieverding, 2020
Katharina Sieverding
Kunstsammlung NRW | K21 Ständehaus, Düsseldorf
13. Mar 2025 - 23. Mar 2025
Discover the 60-year oeuvre of the photographic artist Katharina Sieverding in a comprehensive exhibition at the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, K21.
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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. Mar 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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Music, science, society

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
10. 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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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
13. Mar 2025 - 31. Aug 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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Karl Heinz Schäfer, Tourist Information Paderborn, Imperial palace with St. Bartholomew's Chapel
1,250 years of Westphalia
LWL-Museum in der Kaiserpfalz, Paderborn
1. May 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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Disney, Emmanuele Baccinelli, Phantomias, private collection
Superheroes
NRW-Forum Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf
13. Mar 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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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
13. Mar 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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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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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
1. 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.
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Schleiner + Partner Kommunikation, Poster for the exhibition After Hitler. The German confrontation with National Socialism
After Hitler. The German confrontation with National Socialism
Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bonn
13. Mar 2025 - 25. Jan 2026
The exhibition "After Hitler" at the Haus der Geschichte in Bonn examines Germany's confrontation with National Socialism over generations.
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Tobias Friedrich, The award-winning underwater photographer Tobias Friedrich has captured a blue shark in a picture. Guests can now marvel at the photo
Planet Ocean
Gasometer Oberhausen, Oberhausen
13. Mar 2025 - 30. Nov 2025
The 'Planet Ocean' exhibition in the Gasometer Oberhausen presents the beauty of the world's oceans through large-format photographs, films and immersive installations.
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