“21 x 21. The RuhrKunstMuseen on the Hill” – Until July 27, 2025 at Villa Hügel in Essen.

The 21 RuhrKunstMuseen represent a unique urban museum landscape in Europe and present over 150 art exhibitions every year on 45,000 square meters in 16 cities in the Ruhr region. Founded at
as part of RUHR.2010 – European Capital of Culture, the network is realizing a large-scale exhibition project to mark its 15th anniversary in spring 2025, bringing together the collections of the RuhrKunstMuseen in a joint show at Villa Hügel in Essen: Outstanding works from the diverse collections will enter into a surprising and inspiring dialog. The special exhibition will be compiled entirely from the top-class art holdings of the museums in the region.
The collections of the RuhrKunstMuseen range from modernist masterpieces to important positions in contemporary art and include important national and international art movements of the 20th and 21st centuries, such as Expressionism, New Objectivity and post-war art with Informel, Concrete Art, Zero and Fluxus and the feminist avant-garde. The economic upswing of many cities in the early 20th century, which was set in motion by industrialization, and the civic commitment of benefactors, patrons and employees to be found in many places, as well as a new democratic spirit of optimism in the post-war period with numerous newly founded museums and universities, continue to shape the cultural self-image of the region to this day and form the basis for a dynamically growing, rich museum landscape with a unique character for more than 100 years. Industrial culture and art history go hand in hand here.

SPECIAL EXHIBITION “21 x 21”

The exhibition “21 x 21: The RuhrKunstMuseen on the Hill” opens a new chapter:
For the first time, all the museums in the network are bringing together selected highlights from their collections in a joint exhibition at Villa Hügel in Essen. The concept of the large-scale
show consists of a dialog of works from the different collections in ten playfully associative themed rooms. Almost all artistic genres are represented in the joint show, from painting, photography, graphics and sculpture to multimedia installations. The spectrum ranges from works of classical modernism to positions of the immediate present. Internationally renowned artists meet regional positions and artist groups that are closely associated with the Ruhr region. The exhibition can be seen from April 11 to July 27, 2025 and offers a unique opportunity to get a comprehensive picture of the museum collections of the Ruhr region.

Impressions from the press conference

© Krupp Foundation/Photo: Alex Muchnik