In 2026, the Museum Folkwang in Essen will present an annual program that combines history, contemporary art and cultural diversity in a dynamic dialogue. With outstanding retrospectives, internationally significant photography and continuous expansion of the collection, the museum opens up spaces for reflection, inspiration and artistic debate. Peter Gorschlüter, Director of the museum, emphasizes: "We want to invite our visitors to experience art as a lively dialogue between past and present."
Gustave Courbet - Pioneer of Modernism
At the heart of the annual program is the major retrospective I, Gustave Courbet. It sheds light on the radical pictorial language of the French realist, whose uncompromising stance between art, society and politics shaped modernism. Key groups of works are presented: self-portraits, social reality, landscape, eroticism and exile. In cooperation with the Leopold Museum Vienna and under the patronage of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Emmanuel Macron, the exhibition opens up new perspectives on Courbet's influence on art history.
July 17 to November 8, 2026
Gustave Courbet, Mad with Fear, c. 1844, Photo: Børre Høstland/Nasjonalmuseet, Oslo
After Damascus ... - Karl Ernst Osthaus and the Islamic arts
The exhibition To Damascus ... focuses on the Islamic collection of museum founder Karl Ernst Osthaus. Around 300 objects - from ceramics and textiles to metal and glass works - illustrate the transcultural influences that Osthaus brought together in Worpswede and Essen. The historical collections are complemented by works of classical modernism and contemporary positions that open up new dialogues between past and present.
November 6, 2026 to February 21, 2027
Diversity, mediation and young positions
In addition to the central exhibitions, the museum is showing a wide range of other presentations: L is for Look (February 27 to June 7, 2026) sheds light on photographic forms of use in children's literature, while Herbert W. Franke / Gottfried Jäger (October 16, 2026 to January 10, 2027) focuses on the experimental years of objectless photography. Photography Masters shows contemporary photographic positions, and Saâdane Afif: Affiches / Plakate (March 13 to October 4, 2026) provides comprehensive insights into the work of the French conceptual and object artist. Kate Newby is developing a new site-specific work in the museum's outdoor area, and the New Folkwang Residence scholarship program and the 6 ½ Weeks format support young artists with their first museum presentations. The show 100 Best Posters 25 (July 3 to August 2, 2026) at the Zollverein UNESCO World Heritage Site presents the highlights of the renowned poster design competition.
Saâdane Afif, Au Wiels du 01/02/18 au 22/04/18 / l'orchestre fait le tableau / "Studio Paroles" (Louis and Augustin), Brussels, 2018 © Saâdane Afif
Collection and new acquisitions
The permanent collection presentation NEUE WELTEN focuses on the dialog between the arts and remains accessible free of charge. A special highlight in 2026 is the expansive sculpture Hahn und Podest (Rooster and Pedestal) by Katharina Fritsch, which will enrich the museum from March. With this program, the Museum Folkwang succeeds in combining historical masterpieces, socially relevant positions and young, innovative perspectives - a year that renegotiates the dialogue between art, history and the present and inspires visitors in a variety of ways.
