Coinciding with Art Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf’s art institutions are also presenting a diverse program that extends the fair’s reach beyond the fair venue. In the city’s museums and exhibition venues, international perspectives meet local ones, and current discourses intersect with curatorial highlights. Those wishing to deepen their fair experience will find inspiring connections and new perspectives on the contemporary art scene at the city’s institutions. This overview brings together selected exhibitions that offer a worthwhile extension to a visit to Düsseldorf during Art Düsseldorf.

Kunstsammlung NRW – K20 – Anne Truitt: Pionieer of Minimal Art
March 28 – August 02, 2026

The Kunstsammlung NRW is presenting the first solo exhibition in Europe by Minimal Art artist Anne Truitt at its K20 venue, featuring over 120 works spanning more than four decades. Through Truitt and her use of color, the Minimal Art movement took on a poetic, personal, and sensual quality. Among other works, her deep-black “Piths” and her iconic sculptures from the 1960s are on display.

K20, part of the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information about visiting the exhibition, click here.

Kunstsammlung NRW – K21 – Land and Soil: How we live together
November 29, 2025 – April, 2026

Throughout the entire K21 building, the Kunstsammlung NRW presents a multinational exhibition that focuses on human coexistence. 34 international artists and collectives explore resource management and visions for a just and sustainable future. Artists featured in the exhibition include Alex Wissel, Ugo Rondine, and Maria Thereza Alves.

K21, part of the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Learn more about visiting the exhibition here.

Kunstpalast – COMMUNITY: Photography and Belonging
February 11 – May 25, 2026

COMMUNITY: Photography and Community at the Kunstpalast explores the relationship between photography and community through artistic and applied approaches. In addition to international loans and works from the museum’s own collection, the project emphasizes participation: visitors become part of the exhibition through their own contributions.

Kunstpalast in Bloom
April 17 – April 26, 2026

For the third time, following the great success of 2024, the Kunstpalast’s permanent exhibition will be on show together with the Kunstpalast in Bloom event. Düsseldorf florists interpret selected works or spaces through their own floral creations. They have complete creative freedom in their designs, thereby enhancing the Kunstpalast at the start of spring not only visually but also with delightful scents.

The Kunstpalast is open every Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Long Thursdays, it stays open until 9 p.m.
For the Palastblühen event, opening hours will be extended; you can find more information here.

KIT – Kunst im Tunnel – For Ever and Forever When I Move: Enya Burger und Teresa Linhard
March 28 – June 28, 2026

“For Ever and Forever When I Move” is a line from Lord Alfred Tennyson’s poem “Ulysses,” which explores the fluidity of matter, form, and knowledge across borders and throughout history. Using very different media, both artists create narratives that navigate the fine line between fact and fiction, myth and science, inviting viewers to reflect on the Eurocentric legacy.⁠ Enya Burger and Teresa Linhard are graduates of the Düsseldorf Art Academy.

KIT – Kunst im Tunnel is open every Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can find more information about your visit here.

Langen Foundation – Adam Pendleton: Can I Be?
April 19 – August 09, 2026

The Langen Foundation presents a solo exhibition featuring Adam Pendleton. His work challenges linear logic and blends materiality with conceptual rigor. Under the term “Black Dada,” he explores the tension between Black identity and the history of abstract art. His compositions captivate viewers through the interplay of contrasts, gesture, and precise form.

The Langen Foundation is open every Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can find more information about your visit here.

Haus Lange, Kunstmuseen Krefeld – Acaye Kerunen: Apoi
April 19 – September 06, 2026

Acaye Kerunen, this year’s representative of Uganda at the Venice Biennale, is making her museum debut in Germany. Her interdisciplinary work seamlessly blends art and craft. Using regional fibers and in close collaboration with Ugandan craftswomen, she creates installations that embody an understanding of Uganda’s history and ecology.

Haus Esters, Kunstmuseen Krefeld – Bernhard Fuchs: Heustock
April 19 – September 06, 2026

At Haus Esters, the Kunstmuseen Krefeld are presenting Bernhard Fuchs’s new series Heustock for the first time. In this series, the representative of the Düsseldorf School of Photography documents the disappearing agricultural storage spaces of his native Upper Austria. In approximately 30 photographs taken in natural light, Fuchs captures the archaic architecture and materiality of the hay. The series addresses both structural change in agriculture and the atmospheric possibilities of photography itself.

Haus Lange and Haus Esters at the Kunstmuseen Krefeld are open every Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can find more information about your visit here.

Sammlung Philara – HEIMSPIEL
March 21 – May 17, 2026

In the exhibition “HEIMSPIEL,” members of Philara who have collaborated with the collection in recent years present a wide range of artworks that reflect their dedication and the great diversity of their perspectives. The exhibition celebrates the long-standing friendship with the institution while also exploring the theme of participation.⁠

Sammlung Philara – echoes: Stefan Brüggemann
March 21 – May 17, 2026

Philara is also presenting Stefan Brüggemann’s first institutional solo exhibition, titled “echoes,” which brings together a diverse selection of his artworks from the past 15 years. The artworks resonate with one another, creating a space where meaning becomes palpable.⁠

The Philara Collection is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The collection is open Fridays from 4–8 p.m. and Saturdays & Sundays from 2–6 p.m. You can find more information about your visit here.

Museum Ludwig – Yayoi Kusama
March 14 – August 02, 2026

To mark its 50th anniversary, the Museum Ludwig in Cologne is opening a major exhibition dedicated to the artist Yayoi Kusama, one of the most renowned artists of her time. Polka dots, pumpkin sculptures, and mirrored infinity rooms adorn the museum’s entire temporary exhibition space. Visitors can view over 300 works from her entire artistic oeuvre, including drawings, paintings, sculptures, installations, fashion, performances, and literature.

The Museum Ludwig is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. On the first Thursday of every month, the Museum Ludwig is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. You can find more information about visiting the exhibition here.

Bilker Bunker – Die Szene (The Scene)
March 13 – April 25, 2026

The exhibition at the Bilker Bunker brings together Gregor Guskis’ portrait series “Die Szene” with the reality of the creative process. Fifteen photographs offer intimate glimpses into Düsseldorf studios and the attitudes of those working there. Complemented by one work each from the artists portrayed, the photographic approach and concrete art merge into a multifaceted snapshot of the local scene.

The Bilker Bunker is open every Friday and Saturday from 2–9 p.m. and every Sunday from 2–6 p.m. You can find more information about your visit here.

ZERO Foundation – “Licht im Blick – Fotografie im Werk von Heinz Mack”
March 14 – June 13, 2026

To mark Heinz Mack’s 95th birthday, the ZERO Foundation is opening a special exhibition featuring the artist’s photographic works. For the most part, Heinz Mack views photography as a documentary medium; however, the exhibition also includes very early works that explore the aesthetics of landscapes, elements that are structurally reflected in his other works.

The ZERO Foundation is open every Saturday from 12:30 PM to 5:30 PM.
There are additional opening hours for Art Düsseldorf: From Thursday, April 16, through Sunday, April 19, the ZERO Foundation will be open from 12:30 PM to 5:30 PM. More information can be found here.

Kai 10 | Arthena Foundation – Uncertain Maps
February 27 – September 06, 2026

Uncertain Maps challenges the supposed rationality of the map. The exhibition brings together artistic works that re-examine real and imagined places. Between mental maps and digital data streams, “uncertain” visions of the world emerge that blur the line between fact and fiction. A journey through territories not found in any conventional atlas.
Featured artists include: Franz Ackermann, Jens Bleckmann, DAG, Olafur Eliasson, Esther Ernst, Julius Hartauer, Michael Golz, Christian Pilz, and Isabell Schulte

Kai 10 | Arthena Foundation is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about your visit, please click here.

Skulpturenhalle Thomas Schütte – “Jane und Louise Wilson – Countermeasures”
February 06 – August 16, 2026

Since the 1990s, Jane and Louise Wilson have been redefining the video installation. Their works explore the interplay between architecture and biology, transforming these concepts into tangible spatial experiences. For the first time, the Sculpture Hall is placing the moving image—as a sculptural medium—at the center of an exhibition.

The Sculpture Hall of the Thomas Schütte Foundation is open every Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, click here.

Museum Küppersmühle – Gerhard Hoehme: don’t unravel the places
February 26 – May 31, 2026

As a pioneer of abstraction, Gerhard Hoehme brought painting into the realm of space: his iconic string paintings and installations gave color a three-dimensional quality and transformed his work into an “energy field.” This artist with a social conscience combined formal experiments with socio-political themes. The MKM is exhibiting a wide range of his artworks from 1951 to 1988.

The Museum Küppersmühle is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can find more information about your visit here.

Museum Schloss Moyland – Daniele Formica in Dialogue with Joseph Beuys
March 15 – September 6, 2026

Museum Schloss Moyland in Bedburg-Hau presents new, site-specific works by Daniele Formica based on extensive research in the Joseph Beuys Archive. In the exhibition, contemporary works encounter historical exhibits by Beuys, such as Sibirische Symphonie or Intuition. This experimental dialogue links late modernism with contemporary art and gives rise to independent works of art emerging from an engagement with the extensive collection.

Museum Schloss Moyland is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, click here.

Make the most of your time in Düsseldorf. The DüsseldorfCard gives you easy access to museums, exhibitions and cultural venues across the city and surrounding region – including free public transport throughout your stay.

Available for one or multiple days, it’s a flexible and cost-effective way to explore, whether individually or in small groups. Upgrade to the DüsseldorfCard Plus to extend your visit into the Rhine and Ruhr region.

The easiest way to experience more – beyond the fair.